


You're Worth It

by Orpal



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Break Up, Can it be fixed?, Emotional Constipation, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Family Feels, Fight Derek!, Fluff, Infidelity (techincally), M/M, Marriage, Misunderstandings, Mpreg, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Oblivious Derek, Original Character(s), Pining, Redemption
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-30
Updated: 2018-06-07
Packaged: 2018-10-25 17:03:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 24,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10768611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Orpal/pseuds/Orpal
Summary: Derek and Stiles appear to be a happily married couple on the surface, or so it seems. They love each other dearly but with Derek constantly putting his business over his family, things start not look so great in the Hale household. Can Derek realize that he's losing his family or will it be too late to save what appears to be broken? A story of love, redemption and a whole lot of family feels.





	1. This is Where We Are

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Wolf, nor do I own the characters associated with the show.
> 
> I just take credit for the story idea and original characters created in the story.

“You’re not coming”

Stiles doesn’t word it as a question, it’s something that he's used to saying. It’s a statement that has become an automatic response when Derek calls to cancel their date nights, as rare as they are these days, and, as expected, Derek will respond with:

“Yeah, sorry, something came up at the office. Is that okay?”

Stiles pauses before answering. Is that okay? The last time he expressed how “not okay” it was, Derek put up a front and gave every excuse in the book as to why no one else but him could finish the job and honestly it was a bunch of bullshit to Stiles. Stiles let him know just how shitty his excuse was, arguments ensued which resulted in a week of ignoring each other until Derek cracked first and apologized. Stiles accepted the apology but only at the insistence of their children who “didn’t like seeing daddy and mama fighting”. If it were up to Stiles, he would prefer to always be at odds with Derek, at least then he would get some sort of response from his husband than what he usually received, which was nothing.

Would it matter what Stiles’ response is when no matter what he said, Derek will make it clear what comes first in his life?

“Stiles? Are you still there?”

Stiles startles from the sudden voice on the phone, realizing he hasn’t given Derek a response yet. He glances around the dimly lit restaurant and notices some of the other occupants staring at him but quickly glance away once he makes eye contact. He’s noticed their stares for a while now, they're more bold with their gazes when they think Stiles isn't aware but he can feel them. He can feel the weight of their judgement and pity raining down on him and quite frankly he was sick of it.

At least they didn't have the balls to take any pictures of him. _This time,_ he thinks to himself. As much as Stiles would like to think that he can be just as intimidating as his stoic, all imposing husband, he knows that the patrons wouldn’t even try it thanks to the two large figures standing close by to his table. Oh yes, Stiles isn't allowed to go anywhere by himself without some of Derek’s most trusted bodyguards. Derek thinks it's a good safely procession, Stiles thinks it's suffocating. But it doesn't matter what Stiles thinks, it hasn't mattered for a long time.

“Yeah, sorry, still here.” Stiles says. He clears his throat and re-adjusts the phone to his ear. He hesitates again before adding, in a much brighter tone “It’s fine Derek, I understand. Sometimes things come up”. He hopes he sounds convincing over the phone, enough for Derek not to question him because really, it wasn't okay. Things between them weren't okay and haven't been for some time now.

Stiles can hear Derek sigh over the phone before responding. “Look, I really am sorry. I know you were looking forward to us having dinner tonight. I promise I’ll make it up to you. Next time we’ll go to that new restaurant that opened uptown, sound good?”

Next time. There was always supposed to be a next time but Stiles knew that wasn’t going to happen, it never happened. It’s just something that Derek would say to appease Stiles for the time being. It used to work all the time in the past but now, not so much.

“Yeah, next time, see you when you get home.”

Stiles didn’t wait for a response, he didn’t want to hear it. He hangs up his phone, tosses it on the bare ornate table in front of him and takes a moment to take in his surroundings. He and Derek agreed to meet at Stiles’ favorite Italian restaurant, _Topazio Durato_ , that was located in the heart of New York City. Getting reservation would have been a nightmare for any ordinary person; any available seating would have taken months to get. But for Alpha Hale’s loving omega wife, that was a different story. All Stiles had to do was drop his husband’s name and he was able to score the best seats in the establishment, no questions asked. Sometimes being married to Derek had its pluses, this being one of them.

The dining area was dimly lit from the candle lights that were scattered on the other tables all throughout the restaurant. It’s barely seven in the evening so there was a fair amount of people present. And there was Stiles, sitting alone yet again waiting for well… nothing now since no one was coming.

He happens to glance up and catches a few waiters by the entrance giving him sympathetic looks before quickly avoiding his stare. Stiles was used to this. Normally, he was used to those stares by now. He would normally brush it off with a smile, make some random excuse for dining alone to anyone daring to ask him and order his food to go. Stiles shouldn’t even let it bother him but right now, it irritated him to no end.

He quickly grabbed his phone and sent a quick text to his driver to start up the car and meet him out front. He stands up, shoves his phone in his pants with more force than necessary and quickly walks out of the restaurant. He didn’t wait to see if his bodyguards were following him, not that he had to, he just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

He didn’t have to wait long, a sleek, black Rolls-Royce was parked in front of the building. As Stiles begins to walk towards the car, the driver is already at the passenger door holding it open for his waiting passenger. Stiles gets inside the car, followed by both bodyguards, and eventually they were off. 

“Are you okay Omega Hale?” one of his bodyguards ask once they were some distance into the city heading towards home. He could probably feel the tension radiating off of Stiles in waves. Stiles glances his way but doesn’t answer immediately.

This was not the first time Derek has stood him up on their dates. There were times when Stiles would wait hours for Derek to show up only to get a text message from Derek’s assistant telling him that he wouldn’t be coming. If Stiles tried to call, to would either go straight to voicemail or just ring till the voicemail kicked in. He didn’t understand why Derek would agree to go out with him when Stiles knows they both know; Derek is never going to show up. He could partially blame himself though for encouraging this habit longer than it should have been entertained.

Stiles is tired. The signs are all there; he’s tried to hold on to the remaining strands of his marriage but as of late he can’t understand why when it seems that he is the only acting participant. At least Stiles can say to himself with an honest heart that he tried. He tried to get them to spend time with each other or at the very least, be in the same room with one another where Derek isn’t always on the phone. He’s not here and it's not fair to himself or to their children, their beautiful babies. Derek was, and still is, missing out on so many of their kid’s ‘firsts’ and he just doesn’t get it. Stiles couldn’t understand how a man, an alpha at that, with a family would constantly pick his work over them. The kids are too young to understand but eventually they will know and Stiles wouldn’t bare to see the hurt expressions on his children’s faces. He couldn’t let that happen, not if he could help it.

“Yeah, I’m okay” Stiles finally responds and that was partially true. He hasn’t been okay in a while but soon that was going to change. Stiles life has consisted around the family that he has tried to keep together but even with all his efforts he could not continue to keep lying to himself. Stiles and Derek haven’t been okay for a long time. Stiles was tired of their tolerable relationship that was clearly not working anymore. It hurt to admit it but he has accepted this fact a long time ago so for the sake of his children and himself, things were going to change.


	2. Priorities

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys aren't here for my excuses, you're here for the story so lets go!  
> (If your interested on why this story is so late, check the end).

Its chilly tonight, Derek notices, as he and his companions pulled up to a seemingly empty warehouse at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

What a shame, Derek thought, as they came to a stop in front of what used to be a thriving factory. Now the building is just a rundown relic of the past, left and forgotten.

It was deep within the navy yard’s grounds so no one would be able to find it unless they were looking for it. The warehouse appeared abandoned which was probably why Peter told everyone to meet here. It was perfect for what they came here for.

Peter Hale is the current mob boss of the notorious Triskelion mafia family. He is the most ruthless, cold-hearted Alpha to ever walk the streets of NYC. He rules over the Triskelions with an iron fist; nothing gets past him when it comes to any dealings within NYC grounds, especially those that could threaten his control. There are always a few that stray from his authority or try to challenge him. That’s where Derek comes in, to enforce Peter’s message that no one is to go against him. For those who didn’t get the message, Derek is sent to handle it. Derek’s work was pure magic to Peter; he has dislocated joints, shattered bones and punctured more arteries than Derek would care to remember. It didn’t matter how Derek took care of the situation, as long as those who rebelled against Peter understood the consequences that comes with their actions, Peter would be happy.

So, Derek did find it odd that Peter wanted all his top ranks of Triskelion to meet in Brooklyn, seeing as how they mostly operate in Manhattan. It irked him to be away from familiar grounds, just getting here was an inconvenience. Not that there was traffic out in the streets but because it would take him longer to get back home to the city. No, Derek is not in the mood for Peter's games tonight, he just hopes whatever Peter has in store it ends quickly.

Peter clearly wants to make his presences known in Brooklyn, to leave his mark for the Argents. It's appropriate for the disrespect that has happened recently, Derek will admit.

The Argents is one of their top rivals and currently residing in Brooklyn. With Gerard Argent in charge, they carry out their acts with strong prejudice against anything related to Werewolves. They have always been a problem for Triskilion ever since they established themselves a few years ago. The Argents seem to always know what move they would making, always showing up on Triskilion territory wreaking carnage as they go. Peter has no issue fighting them; any chance he got he would make sure his men paints the streets with Argent blood.

Derek sees no end to the mindless killing; Peter is too stubborn and Gerard would never sit in the same room with the likes of them. Seems there will always be bad blood between the two groups but recently things have been coming to a head. The Argents have been making bold actions in moving on Triskelion’s territory. This is a big mistake for anyone to do and it would soon be rectified.

“Okay, we’re here” Boyd says as he parks the car. Derek steps out of the large vehicle, taking in the surrounding as he waits for the other occupants of the car to get out. He notices other cars parked in front of the building.

“Aww, we're the last ones to get here.” Erica huffed as she stepped out of the car.

“And whose fault do you think that is Ms. Can we pull over to eat, I'm starving.” Isaac replied, mockingly as he got out of the car right after her. “We were supposed to be here at a certain time.”

Erica snorted, rolling her eyes as she and Isaac followed behind Derek. “I don’t recall you complaining then, you nearly ordered the whole men-”

“Enough. Both of you” Derek warned, flashing his red, alpha eyes and abruptly cutting off Erica before she got into her usual dispute with Isaac. They both lowered their heads in submission. Derek glances behind the two and sees Boyd exiting the car, soon catching up to where he and his betas are. Once Boyd gets to them, Erica raises her head, smiles at him and slides her arm underneath Boyd’s arm, to which Isaac rolls his eyes at.

Derek sighs, turns back to the building, and proceeds to lead them all inside. The inside is just as unkempt as the outside with its cracked tile floors and paint chipped walls. They walk down a dimly lit hallway that immediately opens to the warehouse.

Derek could make out the outlines of Triskelion’s top ranking mobsters. He could smell the familiarity of everyone; the faint scent of cigarettes is in the air with an underlining of mold from the building.

Derek furrowed his eyebrows in contempt, this place is old and disgusting. Peter really did know how to pick them.

There was only one smell that didn’t fit and it was coming from the man, or rather boy, that they were all here for. The kid that was now slumped in an old, rusty metal chair in the middle of the warehouse, beaten to a bloody pulp.

“Seems like they started without us. Assholes. “Erica mumbled under her breath from behind Derek. He could practically feel her cross her arms in a false fit.

There is another person hovering over the kid currently struggling to keep his head up and that was the most powerful man in NYC, Peter Hale. Peter’s sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, showing off his muscular form. His hands and forearms were covered in blood with speckles of it littering the lower part of his shirt. He clearly had been beating this guy for some time now, probably nonstop until Derek got here.

Peter turns in the direction of where Derek was standing. He nods at Derek, motioning for him to join him.

Derek makes his way towards the center of the room. Once he gets there, Peter grabbed his forearm and pulls him into a brief embrace, an action Derek returns in kind.

“You finally made it nephew, thought you might have gotten lost on the way here” Peter finally said, patting Derek on the back a few times and breaking away to look at him. He gave a slight smirk and gestured to the lumped figure bounded to the chair. “You were taking so long I just wasn't sure if you would show up or not, I just couldn’t help myself”.

Derek clenched his fist at that remark but made sure not to give away his irritation. As if he had a choice not to come. He didn't want to be here; Peter always made a spectacle of any traitors that was found within their ranks.

  
Derek turned his attention to the person in the chair. If Derek wasn’t already told who this was prior to getting here, he wouldn’t be able to recognize the guy. He could barely recognize him what with his swollen eyes and badly bruised face.

Sam is what he went by, the young beta is probably in his teens and mostly works under Peter for minor drug dealings within the city. He is, or was, a low level peddler who could easily slip under the raider and slip some trade secrets, which is exactly what he did. He told the Argents of the upcoming arms and drug deal Peter was establishing with a respected gang up in Yonkers. It would have increased revenue for the rest of the year. The deal was practically for Triskelion, all that was left to do was finalize small matters and it would be theirs. That deal no longer exist. Not only did the Argents land the deal but they also easily took over that territory, causing the gang in Yonkers to disband and the Argents to grow. Peter was not happy, not at all. It was so obvious that there was a leak within Triskelion and Peter sent out a manhunt to find whoever it was.

The kid could have gotten away with it, if only he had been quieter and left the city instead of bragging to the wrong people. His arrogant behavior is what landed him here, beaten and bloody beyond repair.

Derek could smell the fear and panic still alive and well in the young boy and he struggled to keep his head up, emitting low groans of pain.

“You didn’t have to go this far” Derek asked gruffly while rolling up the sleeves of his black button down shirt.

"Don’t be like that Derek, besides you were taking too long. I figure I get things stared by warming him up for you, right everyone?” Peter asked, addressing the room, to which everyone voiced loudly in agreeance.

“Serves him right for what he did!” someone yelled out followed by a collection of encouraging compliance followed from others occupying the room.

Derek gave a low sigh, his aggravation was starting to show. “Did you at least question him before you nearly broken his windpipes? Using your Voice would have easily gotten what you needed.”

Peter tilted his head slightly, his entire domineer becoming tense. “Careful Derek” was all he replied with but there was enough implication behind those words for Derek to change his demeanor and school his features to his regular impassive mask and move along. Derek had to be careful and remember that Peter was still reeling from the loss of this deal.

Derek shifted his attention back to the kid who is still slumped in his chair.

“He looks like he is about to lose consciousness” Derek said dryly, trying to redirect Peters frustration back to why he gathered everyone here.

Peter blinked, as if just realizing this. “Good Point” he said then proceeded to crouch in front of Sam, extended his claws and swiftly sink them into the kid’s leg. Sam immediately jolted and gave a blood, curdling screech so loud, it felt as if the walls were shaking.

“Better?” Peter asked, smirking up at Derek.

Derek didn’t respond. He instead walked closer to Sam’s shaking form and gripped the back of his head by his hair tightly.

“Guh!” Sam gargled, struggling to open his eyes and focus on the figure above him. Once he realized who it was, his eyes widened to as much as the swelling allowed and began shaking even more than before.

“Oh no” Sam whispered. “H- Hale…..PLEASE! I’m so – sorry, I didn’t me – mean to-“he was interrupted from Derek tightening his grip in his hair, making Sam gargle a groan.

“It too late for that. We just need one answer from you. Look at me when I speak to you.” Derek said, already shifting his eyes to the vibrant red that showed that he was an alpha. Sam whimpered in Derek’s grip, sensing the alpha’s pheromones coming off in waves. Derek watches from his peering gaze as Sam hesitantly opened his eyes. They were brimmed with unshed tears and pleading in a way that would have wavered a normal person’s heart, but not Derek. Derek has seen enough in his life to make him numb to the reality in which he is a part of.

“ **Why did you tell the Argents?** ” Derek growled in a deep, gravelly voice that was more demonic than human.

Sam trembled in response, his eyes immediately changing to a shimmering gold. He let his tears fall in defeat because he knew it was over, the truth was coming out.

“T-the Argents……they offered….security...for my f-family. T-They would give us…..enough so my family wo-wouldn’t have to worry” Sam got out through his clenched fangs of his beta form. By this time, Peter is standing over the boy, watching with a detached look on his face. Derek glances at him and sees his red, Alpha eyes glowing, the hand that was lodged in Sam’s leg now rest at his side dripping blood on the broken floor.

“Did we not offer you enough to live on? Was our generosity and protection so meaningless to you that it meant nothing to turn your back on us, your own kind?” Peter said, in a soft tone. Derek knew that when Peter began speaking in that tone, any hope for his victim was lost.

Sam looked Peter in the eye with more tears falling down his face, “I-it wasn't….just about the m-money...they threaten me, th-threatened to hurt my f-family! I….I was scared! Scared of-”

“You should have feared me more” Peter snarled through his sudden descended fangs. Before Derek, or anyone else, knew it, Peter quickly descended on the boy who was barely an adult, barely experienced life, and ripped his throat out with his teeth. Derek looked away with furrowed eyebrows, he couldn’t watch Peter viciously attack the kid but he could hear everything. He could hear the staggered gasp that Sam lets out and his skin being ripped from his body. He could feel the once tense, shaking body slackened almost immediately within seconds of Peter’s attack. Off to the side, he could make out the expressions everyone. Some are grinning in approval but most are frowning with their lips pursed in a straight line, similar to Derek. He makes out the faces of Boyd, Isaac and Erica, all with similar looks of disturbance marring their faces.

This is a bit much, Derek thinks to himself. Peter hasn’t always been this violent when it comes to people crossing Triskelion. These past few months have been difficult what with Argents increasing gain of power. It's making Peter more erratic, more paranoid towards the company that he keeps. It all in good reason but Triskelion is a pack, they are family and families don't hurt each other to this degree.

Derek let go of his grip on the boy and turned his attention back on Peter. He observed Peter straighten back up to his usual rigid posture, both hands and mouth dripping blood. He gestures for someone off to the side, who has a damp cloth ready, to come to him.

With the blood of Sam still dripping from Peter’s mouth onto the floor, he addresses the whole room, “Let that be a lesson to everyone here who even thinks of crossing me. This has been a long time coming, ladies and gentlemen, and it looks like the Argents have made the first declaration. ”

Silenced is all that is met after Peter’s speech. No one would dare speak up in opposition or agreeance. With that, Peter swiftly snagged the cloth from his second, who made it to Peter’s side during his speech, and cleaned himself up as much as he could.

Derek was vaguely aware of what Peter was doing, his attention completely taken by the body slouched in front of him. Derek didn't know Sam, probably wouldn’t have looked twice if he passed him in the streets, but Derek did feel a little sorry for him. He was young and had a lot of potential to make himself more than what he was. On top of that he was also a part of Triskelion, part of their pack. It was unfortunate, and excessive for what happened to him but that is to be expected. Triskelion is a brotherhood, anyone who is affiliated is in it for life. To go against Triskelion, to go against family, well there are worse punishments than death.

“I think we've all been here long enough” Peter said, addressing everyone in the room again. Derek glanced his way, the blood that was on him was mostly gone. Peter was now back to his normal form, having calmed down a bit. “Let's make sure when we clean out the place, we leave a mark the Argents can’t ignore”.

With that, everyone got into action already knowing what had to be done. There are some who hold gasoline containers, progressively dousing the warehouse while others make their way towards the exit of the building. Derek watches, while he rolls his sleeves back down, as they cover almost every square inch of the warehouse in gasoline. They make sure to drench Sam’s body. He checks himself over, surprised that blood didn’t get on his clothing.

He glances back to where Boyd and the others are still standing, waiting for him. He makes his way towards the exit already aware that they are following him outside.

It's gotten colder since they’ve been outside, Derek notes but isn't really bothered by the weather. He walks to a spot a few paces away and waits for his companions to catch up to him. There are less cars out now, most having left seeing as how business was done. A few are lingering in front of the building to watch it burn

“Can we go now please? This place is starting to smell...” Erica mumbles as she approaches him, followed by Boyd and Isaac. She still has a scowl on her face, her arms crossed and shoulders hunched from either the cold or the actions that just took place, Derek couldn't tell. “It is getting late, some of have errands to do tomorrow”. Boyd places his arm around Erica, most likely in an effort to comfort the disgruntled beta. Isaac doesn’t even react to their mild pda, he looks off to the side with a faraway look on his face.

Derek grunts in agreement and checks his phone for the time. Shit he thinks to himself, it past 1 in the morning. Stiles is going to kill him.

 _Stiles_ …

Derek pursed his lips at the thought of his mate. He messed up tonight, that he knew for a fact. His wolf whines when it knows that Stiles is pissed at him. He knew Stiles was looking forward to tonight, he kept reminding him daily that they were going to take a break from their lives and treat themselves tonight. They haven't really gone out that much prior so Derek was looking forward to tonight… but then Peter called. Peter would usually call Derek for last minute jobs that Derek found unnecessarily tedious. This time was different. He was in the middle of visiting some of the local businesses to make sure things were running smoothly. He was going to meet Stiles at the restaurant as soon as he was done but then he got the call. Before he can brush off Peter and tell him to get somebody else to do his work, Peter tells him that he found who has been leaking information to the Argents and called a meeting.

Derek couldn’t miss this. This meeting turned out to be more than just a usual beat em’ up session. Triskelion is falling into a new wave that's going to be tough once they go head to head with the Argents, everyone has to be on their toes for what is going to come. Everyone has to be united and protect each other. He won’t allow any of the Agents hurt anyone in Triskelion and if they dared to threaten his family… Derek lets out low growl that startles his companions.

The thought of anyone hurting Stiles and their children in any way makes Derek want to hunt down and rip the limbs off of all the Argents one by one. He won’t let anything happen to them, this he swears on his life. His family is the best thing that has ever happened to him; Stiles is his world and he can’t thank him enough for giving Derek those two precious jewels that are his cubs.

Yes, Derek is ready. He will fight to his last breath to protect his family.

“You okay Derek?” Isaac ask, snapping Derek out of his thoughts. Boyd and Erica were already heading towards the car while Isaac is just a few paces in front of him going in the same direction.

Derek grunts, “Yeah, let's go” he says and starts making his way towards the car. As he begins to head in that direction, a strong grip suddenly grasp his shoulder, halting him from moving any further. He tenses but quickly relaxes at the familiar scent that suddenly invaded his senses. Derek glances over his shoulder to see that it is in fact Peter.

“Derek, we need to talk before you go” Peter says, his steely gaze unwavering, letting Derek know that whatever Peter wanted to discuss is important.

“Sure” Derek responds, and turns back to Isaac, who is now frowning in their direction. “Isaac, tell Erica and Boyd I’ll catch up with them in a bit”

Isaac paused, he looks like he wants to say something but thinks better of it and only responds with an “Okay” and walks toward the direction of the car.

Derek waits till Isaac is a good distance away from them before he turns back to Peter. Derek can feel his earlier annoyance coming back; he can't imagine what more Peter wants to discuss with him. All Derek wants to do is go home and be with his family. He had some making up to do with Stiles and he doesn’t want to waste any more time here.

“How long do you think it will take the Agents to realize we've been here?” Peter asked, glancing at Derek for a response.

“Not long” Peter stares at Derek expectantly, waiting for more. “But since were far off from where they normally are, it could take a while.” Derek gets out.

Peter hums in response. “Good, as long as they get the message then they'll know we mean business,”. Peter is smirking dangerously, the mood is more tense, making Derek become more aware of how he response. Peter is not a sane man when it comes to taking revenge.

“Sorry I had to call this meeting tonight, hope I didn't interrupt any plans you had tonight.” Peter watches him intently, waiting for his reaction.

Derek clenches his jaw, a move he knows Peter can see. Peter is far from sorry, Derek knows this. Peter was very aware about Derek’s plans for tonight, he brought it up a few times to remind him that he would be unavailable tonight, but when Peter calls for anyone, they were expected without a minutes delay. He is not a man who you want to keep waiting. So Derek forces himself not break his gaze from Peter, he relaxes his jaw and keeps his face neutral; any small movement will give away how he really feels.

“I need you, 100 percent Derek,” Peter says, interrupting his musings. “The Argents are growing every day, my sources tell me they are gaining a lot of recruits by the boatload,” Peter gives him a serious look, one that Derek hasn’t seen on the man in a while. “Everyone has to be focused, especially you. We’ve come to a time where our priorities need to be clear and being . . . distracted is not ideal right now.”

Derek doesn’t even try to think about what Peter means when he says that last bit, it will just break his barely restrained calm. He instead focuses on the big picture; the Argents are becoming a threat that neither he nor Peter was expecting, having this gathering revealed as much.

The Argents won't hesitate to kill any werewolf that's vulnerable or alone, civilian or otherwise. If they gained controlled, no one would be safe and Derek will not stand for that.

If Peter is taking the Argents as a serious threat then Derek will act accordingly, as a second in command should.

“Yeah, you right” Derek responds. He doesn't like this; he doesn't want this impending battle but Derek will do whatever it takes to make life safe for not only werewolves alike but also his family. He would destroy anyone who threatens his family.

Peter gives a small smile that doesn't really meet his eyes and pats him on the shoulder. “Great nephew, I won’t keep you here any longer, you do have an omega to get home to, ”. With that Peter squeezes his shoulder and walks away towards his car, leaving a slightly more irritated Derek in his wake.

As soon as Peter is out of his line of sight and smell, Derek let's out a long sigh, readily releasing a bunch of pent of frustration in him. He pulled out his phone to check the time and silently cursed himself.

It was 2:00.

He was late. Again.

 

 

● ● ● ● ● ●

 

 

Derek cautiously close the door to the apartment behind him, making sure to not make any noise. He knew what he was walking into; it was late, past one in the morning by the time he got home, and that was not okay in the Hale household.

They've talked about this. Stiles doesn't like when Derek comes home late. They agreed between the two of them that a reasonable time to be back home should be 10 and if either of them wasn't going to make it, at least let the other know. Derek did neither.

Derek swallowed the sudden lump he felt in his throat, he could already feel his hands begin to moist. He listened carefully to his surrounding to try to pick up on any movements and steadily made his way out of the entryway and towards the living area.

Derek could say that this is routine for them, since is usually him who comes home late. He has been working on it, trying to get things done in a timely manner so that he can at least make it to dinner. He tries but Peter is always springing last minute assignments on him, making it hard to honor his and Stiles lateness policy. Now Derek has face many chilling situations in his life but there was nothing more frightening than a pissed off Stiles.

Derek is expecting to find Stiles, curled up in his favorite armchair looking every bit as fierce as he was lovely, giving Derek a look so intense that he wouldn't be sure to be either cautious or turned on.

But when Derek arrives into the large living space, he is met with … nothing. The living room is dark save for the faint glows of light casting throughout the open apartment through the floor-to-ceiling windows from the city buildings. A quick survey throughout the space revealed that there was no signs of the omega.

Derek exhales. Stiles wasn't here which was… good? He doubts it, Stiles probably just got tired of waiting for him, not that he blames him, it's not fair. Stiles shouldn't have to wait up for him.

Derek frowns as he walks further into the apartment and towards the stairs. He walks up the stairs and heads to the end of the hallway to his and Stiles bedroom but stops in front of a door that is slightly open. He slowly opens the door and peeks through the opening.

Derek’s eyes scanned the room; there were various stuffed animals scattered on the ground, lego sets in disarray and play-do mashed onto a small play table towards the left of him. His eyes finally roamed to the two occupants in the room, one in a small bed and the other in a crib, and he couldn't help the smile that formed on his face.

Giaus is sprawled out wildly on the bed, blanket halfway on the floor and halfway covering him with drool sliding on the side of his face. His snoring was vibrating throughout the room, it was a wonder that his sister could sleep through it, Derek thought to himself.

The baby in question was currently curled up in her crib, sleeping like the perfect angel she was, oblivious to the outside world. Derek’s chest warmed at the sight.

Giaus Hale is their first born and is the spitting image of Derek, from his dark hair to his hazel eyes. Although he looked like Derek, his personality was Stiles completely. He is a hyperactive, jittery four year old and Derek loves every bit of him.

Their daughter Rose, however, resembled Stiles more. She had Derek’s eyes but that was about it. She had his upturned nose and a dimpled smile that Derek always fell victim too, ready to give her the world if she asked for it. She even has freckles just like Stiles, some freckles were dusted across her cheeks making her even more adorable. She's much calmer than her brother but just as bubbly. She has Derek wrapped around her finger and she knows it.

Derek’s thoughts go back to what happened earlier. About the Argent threat and how much more dangerous things are going to become. Hs grip tightens on the door knob. No, he won't let that happen, he won't let a soul hurt his cubs. Not while he is still around.

With that in mind, Derek softly closes the door, making sure not to wake them and continuing to the bedroom.

The room is dark, but Derek can make out the outline of his mate laying on the large bed. Stiles back is facing him, the curves of his body seeming to enhance in the glow of the city lights. Derek listened to the Omegas steady heartbeat for a bit before he strips his clothes, leaving nothing on but his boxer brief, and joins his mate in the bed. He wraps his arms around Stiles’ middle, curling up against him.

“Wha-....Der, what are you… “Stiles says groggily, waking up from his peaceful sleep and beginning to move.

“Sorry,” Derek places a soft kiss at the base of Stiles neck and scents him, settling his face in the junction between Stiles’ shoulder and neck. “Didn’t mean to wake you, go back to sleep”.

Derek settles himself, finally resting head on a pillow with his nose buried in Stiles soft curls.

The Argents are running heavy on his mind. They are an impending danger that Derek can’t allow to rise. His arms tighten around Stiles, getting even closer if it were possible. He won’t think about that now, that was for a later time.

Derek is tired and it doesn’t take him long to fall asleep to the lulling sound of Stiles’ heartbeat. Had he been paying attention, he would have noticed that Stiles, in fact, did not go back to sleep but instead stared out the window with a contempt look marring his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was summer time and I was turning up.
> 
> This chapter took way longer than it need to, I was having issues describing scenes and feelings and emotions but i kind of got it together and came up with this. I wrote this chapter in Derek's perspective because it was only fair, gotta here his side sort of but as you guys have read he is oblivious to Stiles feelings.
> 
> Tell me what you guys think, I like reading the comments.


	3. Greetings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is an update for you guys!  
> IT'S A FLASHBACK CHAPTER -just a heads up.  
> But anyways, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it.

 

 

_He’s here again._

Through the dense foliage, with only a few streams of sunlight peeking through the branches of the leaves above, he can see him playing in the flowers. Well not playing, more like inspecting each flower he came across in the clearing, analyzing each one he happened upon as if he was looking for something distinctive, something unique.

What a strange boy, he thinks to himself. It's a beautiful day out, most kids their age are at the park, playing games and enjoying the weather, but not him. He comes here, almost every day like clockwork, with a basket in one hand and a plastic shovel in the other and wanders throughout the forest, picking flowers that catches his eye.

He carefully takes a peek out from behind the large tree he was hiding behind. It was big enough to shield his entire body.

The boy is still search for some flower, his face was shrouded with a look a pure determination that told him that he would not leave until he found it. Sometimes during the boy’s wandering, he would pass through a beam of light that's peaked through the thick canopy above, and then he would see.

He would see how pale the boy's skin truly is but it seemed to illuminate once he stepped into a patch of light. Across his skin was a pattern of dots that reminded him of a constellation, as if the boy had been kissed by the night sky itself. His cheeks are so full and rosy, his eyes are a beautiful shade of amber that reminded him of his mother's favorite necklace. The boy’s hair is a lovely shade of brown that looked so soft, like fine silk made for royalty, and only seemed to be more enhanced in the sunlight. The boy looks so focused, so committed, so intense, so . . . 

His stomach begins to twist and turn. His heart clenches almost painfully in his chest, beating so strong and so fast that he’s afraid the boy might hear it from across the clearing. He can feel the sensation of heat buildup from the back of his neck to the entirety of his face, he was sure he looked like a tomato.

He ducks behind the tree and looks down at his shoes, small hands clenching at his chest to try to calm down his speeding heart. He always gets this way whenever he sees the boy, it was madness. It's not like he’s afraid of him, he feels the opposite actually. He wants to talk to the boy, to help him out on his quest of flower hunting. To get to know him and maybe invite him to play back at his house. Maybe then they could be friends. But he couldn’t, not when he always reacts like this. He couldn’t even work up the courage to say a simple “Hi”. So for now, until then, he would be content with watching the boy from afar.

“AH! I found it!”

He quickly snaps his head up and freezes, thinking for a second that he had been caught. But after a while of nothing happening, he calms down and once again peeks out from behind his hiding spot.

The boy is a little ways away from him, kneeling down in the clearing making him appear as if he were submerged in the grass. In his hand was the shovel he always carried around and on it was a small flower. It was bright and yellow like the sun, with petals curving outward, slightly caressing the boy's other hand that is keeping it upright. He looks so happy, with a smile so bright it could be blinding.

“Mom is going to love you. She won't believe I actually found you!” the boy said. He carefully placed the shovel down on the ground and went to reach inside his basket. He pulled out a small pot then carefully went to work with placing the flower inside. With gentle hands, the boy placed the filled pot back inside his basket, placing the shovel inside as well, then carefully stood and began walking in a way that would not disturb the other plants around him.

_So thoughtful._

He silently sighed to himself and cautiously stepped away from the tree he was behind. Another day gone, another opportunity wasted to meet the boy. It will be okay though, at least he will see him again whenever he comes across him searching. Till then, he figure he might as well go home.

With all his stealthy skills he's built over the weeks watching the boy, he should have been more aware of his surroundings. So of course he would step on a twig that instantly snaps under the weight of his foot, creating a noise that seemed to echo throughout the forest.

He closes his eyes at the immediate “yelp” that undoubtedly comes from the boy, the sound of gravel crunching against shoes comes to a sudden halt.

For a second it's quite, all he can hear is the sound of his stilted breathing and his heart threatening to burst out of his chest for, this time, a completely different reason. So stupid, he thinks to himself, images of scenarios run through his head at the now unavoidable encounter that's going to happen, all of them bad. He can still make a run for it, he can let the boy think it was an animal passing by, or maybe he could-

“Who are you?”

His head snaps up at the sudden voice that is no longer far away but suddenly close, very close. The boy, who he thought was on the other side if the clearing, is now peering at him from behind the same tree he was at not too long ago. The boy didn't look scared. The boy’s face is open with curiosity and wonder that he didn't realize a question was asked in the first place, all he can do is stare.

The boy that he has been watching for so long, is suddenly here, close to him. His eyes are an even deeper, rich shade of brown than he realized, he thinks he can see specks of orange if he looks closer. The dots scattered across his face are even more pronounced and defined, serving as complements to his fair skin. His nose is curved up in such a way that made him unique to look at. The boy is gorgeous up close, more so than he originally thought he was.

“Are you okay? Your face is really red. Are you sick?” He didn't even see the boy move, so lost in his appearance, because now, instead of him being behind the tree, he is standing in front of him with a look of concern. The boy's unoccupied hand was steadily raising towards him, as if to touch him and that is what finally snaps him out of his hypnotic-like gaze.

He jolted, almost violently, and quickly stumbled backwards, tripping over uneven ground and falling flat on his behind. His hands scraped against the ground from bracing himself from the fall, but he could feel the oncoming stinging pain sprouting from the scraps now decorating his hands.

The boy let out a startled gasp from his sudden movement, clearly surprised by his sudden movement.

 _How embarrassing_.

He tilts his head down in an attempt to hide his features. He can feel tears building from his eyelids, threatening to fall. He bits his lip to stop from crying.

The boy will never want to be his friend now, not when he sees how much of a cry baby he his. Especially not when he made such a fool of himself. Why couldn't he have been more aware? He's always carefully to not make a sound around him. Now the boy will know what a coward he really is. He thinks of the boy's normally friendly face, now masked with a look of disgust as he stands over him.

He clenches his hands at the thought and starts to close in on himself.

 _Way to go_.

“Oh! Are you okay?!? I didn't mean to scare you, honest! But well… you scared me first… that's not the point. I really am sorry! Please don't be upset with me! Hey, look at me will you...”

He takes a moment to try to compose himself, to calm himself down and will the tears away. He tries, he really does, but they just seem to build up more the harder he tries.

“Hey, its okay.” He feels a gentle hand carefully grasp his shoulder, a small thumb rubbing slow circles in the area. He jumps at the sudden contact but quickly relaxes. 

He carefully lifts his head up and hesitantly opens his eyes. His vision is blurry with unshed tears but he can see him. He can see the boy bent over slightly with his hand on his shoulder, looking at him with, not a look of contempt like he expected but, a soft smile and warm eyes. The sun's rays are shining above him through the trees, creating a halo around the boy’s head that makes him appear as if he were from a dream, unreal.

_Wow . . ._

“See, I'm not that scary, now let me help you get up” the boy speaks, his voice a faint tone that he didn't get to appreciate until now. He can only watch as the boy straightens and places the filled basket on the ground. He then extends one hand in front of him and waits with a look of expectancy.

He looked at the hand, then at the boy, and back at the hand again before realizing that the boy is waiting for him to grab it. He quickly scrambles to grab the boy's hand and lets himself be hauled to his feet. He let out a slight hisses from the contact and immediately letting go of the boy's surprisingly soft hand as soon as he’s standing.

“You are hurt. Don't worry, I've got just the stuff to help!” The boy then kneels back down and digs in his basket, searching for who knows what.

He should have told him it's okay, that his hands will be healed later. But then he wouldn't know what to say after that and he didn't want their meeting to end.

“Here it is!” The boy pops back up with a smile on his face, startling him out of his musings. ”My mom always tells me to pack this stuff whenever I go out, its magic!”

The boy has a small jar open filled with a green substance. “Can you stick your hands out, it will only sting for a second but then it will be better, I swear,” the boy says with a determined look in his eyes.

He felt his heart clench as he stares back into those eyes and places his hands out in front of him, rendering himself hopeless in the boy's presence.

He wasn't paying attention, he didn't notice the boy scooping some of the gel out and gently placing it on one of his hands. He didn't even feel the slight sting that followed only to be replaced by a cooling sensation from the gel. He could only stare at the boy’s face in a daze, blind to his ministrations

He suddenly snaps out of his thoughts when he amber eyes stare back at him, with that expectant look on his face again as if waiting for something from him.

Oh no, did he do something wrong? Was he supposed to say something? He glances down and notice that the gel was on both of his hands, already in the process of drying up. He looks back at the boy and quickly swallows when he sees the boy was looking back at him with a soft smile, watching him. His eyes were looking straight at him, _finally at him_. They are penetrating.

He awkwardly lowers his hands down at his sides, ducking his head down to try to hide his heated face. He takes a deep breath a stutters out a quick “Thank You” while taking quick glances at the boy in front side's, waiting to see what happens next.

The boy blinks at him, then giggles in such a way that he once again feels hypnotized by the sound. He would never get tired of that sound.

“You don't have to thank me it’s okay, but that's not what I said,” the boy got out. “I asked you what you name was. My name is . . . complicated, but everyone calls me Stiles.”

_Stiles_

His heart swoons. He has never heard of a name like that. It's different from what he is used to. But as he continues to stare at the boy he can only think that such a unique name should belong to a unique boy.

He's calmed down a bit, the boy, _Stiles,_ has that effect on him he notices. His presence is welcoming and it makes him feel comfortable, free to be himself. So he doesn't hesitate this time when he gives his reply:

“Derek, my name is Derek.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Derek, what a semi stalker he was back in his youth. He's just shy, that's all.
> 
> My midterms are almost over, finally. That's whats been keeping me from updating sooner, I've been studying non-stop and honestly its paying off. I'm so happy now that I have some free time to myself.
> 
> I had this idea floating in my head for a while ago for events that happened before Derek and Stiles got married and embraced the domestic lifestyle. Not "events" but just moments in their lives where they either interact with one another or they grow into there persons. I just wasn't sure how I wanted to incorporate that into the story so I thought of a format for how this is going to be written from now on. I'll write two chapters in current times and one chapter as a flashback. I feel like that'll work.
> 
> The next chapter is in the works, so be expecting it soon!
> 
> As always, love to read your comments, constructive criticism is always welcome, and I'll write to y'all next time for the next chapter!


	4. Where Has the Time Gone?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

The apartment is filled with the aroma of sizzling bacon and eggs as Stiles flips and shuffles food on the stove, making sure not to overcook them.

“Gaius come down, the food is almost ready!” Stiles calls out. He lets the food cook some more as he crosses the kitchen to get to Rose, grabbing a small jar filled with banana mush and a spoon along the way. She’s babbling about in her high chair until she spots him coming towards her and immediately perks up, making grabby hands to be fed. 

“Hi munchkin, I see you're ready to eat,” Stiles takes a scoop of baby food, making airplane noises as he maneuvers the spoon filled with mush towards her, to which she giggles hysterically at. “Say ‘Ahhh~’” Rose let out a high pitched ‘ahh’ that turns into a ‘hmm’ as she welcomes the food into her mouth. Stiles gave her a few more scoops before placing the jar and spoon onto the counter next to her and hurriedly makes his way back to the stove.

“Good, almost done”, he mumbles to himself, grabbing for a spatula and continues shuffling the food about. “Gaius let's go, I don't want you to be late for school!"

“I’m coming! I’m just grabbing a few more things!” is the reply Stiles receives from upstairs. Stiles sighs, continuing to cook the food till it’s cooked to perfection.

This is a normal morning in the Hale household during the week. Stiles takes pride in making sure that his kids are fed and clean and ready to face the day. He makes it a habit to have him and the kids eat together as a family if not for breakfast, then at least for dinner. The only one missing from this equation is Derek.

He tightens his grip on the spatula, shoveling the food around more aggressively than necessary. Derek came home late last night, not like that was anything new. By the time Stiles woke up to get the kids ready for the day, Derek was already dressed in a dark, navy suit, telling him that he needed to leave out early. He’s already told Derek that he doesn't like him coming in at any time of the night, he doesn’t bother to remind him either. Derek promised that he would start coming home early and he held that promise at first … for all of week.

Stiles wasn’t as disappointed as he should have been; he’s learned early on that Derek was shit at keeping promises. These days, Derek's declarations meant nothing to Stiles, because they're all empty. He’s more upset at himself than at his husband that he expects Derek to always fall through, that he knows Derek won't fulfill his promises and Stiles just accept it as is. That's not right. He’s tried to let Derek know how he feels, explain to him that his actions are not something that Stiles condones, but he’s either too busy to listen or just not present to hear Stiles out.

Last night was no different than any other night. Derek comes home late, leaves early in the morning and later makes it up to Stiles in some form of an apology, usually roses. He usually accepted them but now all Stiles can do is look at these ‘apologies’ with disdain and throw them away, not that Derek would notice anyway. Stiles is over this sick routine, he is over feeling like he and his kids come second in Derek's life. He has too much pent up anger and frustration to allow this to continue, which is why he doesn't feel guilty for what it about to come.

Stiles has thought about this for a while now. He’s reflected on his marriage, about he wants for himself and what would be best for the kids, and he has finally worked up the courage to follow through on his thoughts.

Stiles is going to take the kids and leave.

This idea didn't come easy for him. It didn't feel right just leaving, out of the blue. He didn't want to uproot his children from all that they know. So he tried. He gave his best efforts to do better in his marriage, to prove to himself that maybe it was him and all these thoughts he was having was just him being ungrateful. Stiles knows that it could be worst, he could have been mated and married to an asshole of an alpha, not that he would even allow that to happen. So he is grateful for being with a kind, open-minded man like Derek. But as the years have gone by, and Derek has shown through his actions what really comes first in his life, that idea didn't seem so bad after all. He stopped trying and instead put more thought on his plan of leaving, on why he should leave this place he has called home for some years.

For start offs, this has never been a home to Stiles. They moved here because Derek wanted to be closer to Peter. At the time, Peter’s business was flourishing; he was an up and coming business man who specialized in property ownership and retail. That was what Derek had explained to him, back when they were still in Beacon Hills, three months pregnant with not a lot of options. Peter had approached Derek with a job opportunity and Derek approached him, wanting to get his input. It was a great opportunity, of course, but Stiles had his reservations. He did not want to leave home, his dad and his friends were here but looking into Derek’s eyes, how they gleamed in excited eagerness at the new prospect, Stiles couldn’t find it in himself to say no.

Next thing he knew, they were halfway across the country, living in a dingy apartment that was barely big enough to hold one person. It's only temporary, Derek had said at the time, Stiles was hesitant to believe him. _Maybe I should take up a job, to help take the load off_ , he remembers suggesting one day. Derek would leave early morning and come home exhausted from whatever job Peter assigned. The bills were piling up and the money Derek was earning was barely getting them by, Stiles didn't mind helping out in some way. But the look of desperation that crossed Derek's face startled him. _No_ , Derek had said, _everything I do is so you won't have to work ever again, I promise this is only temporary, just give me more time_. Stiles should have fought more, show Derek that he wasn’t a stereotypical omega who only depended on their alpha, but Derek was so _distraught_ at the idea of Stiles working. So, Stiles never brought it up again and sure enough it was only temporary.

Stiles wasn’t ignorant to the dealings Peter did to get what he has today, he knew the shady, dangerous business Peter did and was highly against Derek getting involved with it. Even so, he never imagined for Pete’s business to grow into an empire and they would move from that small, dismal apartment into this large, luxurious condo.

It was spacious, there was more than enough room for their growing family. What made it even better, or worse, was that the building was owned by Peter and they got to live at the very top with other werewolves that was employed by him in other units.

 _I told you_ , Derek had said, with his arms wrapped around Stiles and his 7-month belly from behind as they watched movers place new furniture into their new home, _only temporary_. Stiles only agreed.

It was a nice place and Stiles was grateful for the good fortune that had come Derek’s way but to him, it was just too big. Stiles didn’t think they needed all this space, it was only the two of them, soon to be three. He didn’t share those thoughts however, he didn't want to seem unappreciative.

Making friends was the worst. He tried to connecting with people in the neighborhood or to whatever event Derek would drag him to, but most of the people were so stuck up and snooty that Stiles was turned off from the idea. He did make one friend, a Beta named Lydia he met at Gaius’ preschool. She is a lawyer who defends omegas involved in domestic violence and Stiles can say with an honest heart that is one of his good friends. She is a feisty, out spoke her mind, and was just all around good company to keep. Stiles found himself drawn to her immediately. Her son, Jake, became best friends with Gaius so it was only natural that they got along too.

Even with having her as company, Lydia had a life too and with Derek becoming increasingly busy with keeping up with his business, Stiles was left alone to take care of their growing family. As much as he loved his children unquestionably, he did miss hanging out with people his own age. In a city with over a million people, Stiles had never felt more alone. He missed Beacon Hills; he missed his family and his friends, and with Derek being gone most of the time, he found himself becoming homesick. Raising his two beautiful children occupied most of his time and don't get him wrong, he has loved every minute of being with his babies, but he envisioned that he would do more with his life besides being home most days taking care of the kids while his husband does whatever.

This isn't the life he had in mind, being a part of a half-assed marriage where it seemed that he was the only one making an effort. It wasn’t right for Derek to treat not only him as a second thought, but their children as well. Derek wasn’t a terrible father, he spent time with the kids and Stiles, but only if it was a convenience to _him_ , and that upset Stiles more than anything. Gaius plays baseball with the local little league team and Stiles hates seeing disappointment fill his son's face whenever he has to tell him his father won’t make it to one of his games. It's one thing to put Stiles on the back burner but it's a whole other issue to do so to their children and he can’t tolerate it any more.

“Mama! I got my backpack, is the food ready?” said the sudden voice of said child that is currently occupying his thoughts. The sound snaps Stiles out of his daze and turn around to see Gaius stumbling into the kitchen with an overly stuffed book bag.

Stiles sighs halfheartedly, turning off the stove and grabbing for some plates so they can eat.

“Gaius, how many times do I have to tell you that you can’t bring your whole room to school?”, he says, filling a plate with food and bringing it over to Gaius who sits at the kitchen table making kissy faces to Rose. She tries to mimic him in return. “Only one toy, we had an agreement.”

“I know, but today Jake and Sam said they were going to bring their best toys to play with and I was trying to decided what was my favorite but I couldn't so I’m going to bring them all!” Gaius replied happily, chowing down on his breakfast. Stiles grabbed for the Rose’s food and went about feeding her again.

“‘But’s’ were not a part of our discussion, only one toy and that's the end of that.”

“Okay mama” Gaius replied, a bit dolefully, between bites.

“You know if you're good today, I might have a surprise for you later” Stiles said, making sure to watch as Gaius perked up in excitement.

“Really?!? What is it? Is it going to be ice cream? Are we going the ice-cream parlor?” Gaius was now standing in his seat, jumping up and down in anticipation. Rose began bagging her hands on her high chair, finding her brother’s display amusing.

Stiles chuckled at his actions. “You're going to have to wait and find out”, he said, scooping out the last of the banana mush to feed to Rose, “In the meantime hurry and finish up your breakfast and when you're done, empty out your bag and pick only one toy you're bringing with you”.

Gaius immediately began eating his food with more vigor. Stiles tells him to ‘slow down, speed racer’. A loud ‘BA!’ came from Rose who was trying to get Stiles attention, eyeing the spoon filled mush that was hovering over her head.

“Sorry, love” Stiles said, feeding her the last bit of food.

Yes, this was a typical morning for them. Just the three of them, but it shouldn’t be that way. Derek misses out on these moments, regardless of how small they are, they are still significant memories to have with their kids. As sad and hurtful as it is, Derek has made his priorities apparent and now Stiles can say with sincerity, so has he. If not for his own sake, he will make sure that his kids live happier, loved-filled lives and he will do so on his own accord.

 

●●●●●●

 

After the kids were properly fed, Stiles took them out the building to an awaiting black, SUV parked out front, both of his designated bodyguards following in step behind them. With everyone secure, they drop Gaius off at preschool then make their way to Central Park to walk around and enjoy the scenery until Stiles has to meet up with Lydia for their lunch date.

Pulling up to the small café, Stiles gets out of the truck with Rose on his hip, a baby bag on his shoulder and makes his way inside. Before going in however, he turned and asked his two babysitters if they could wait outside, he didn't want their threatening presence disturbing the atmosphere. They hesitated at first but soon relented and agreed to wait outside till Stiles was done. 

He makes his way inside the quaint shop; it wasn’t as busy as it usually is when they eat here with only a few people scattered about the space. Lydia wasn’t hard to spot with her vibrant cherry-red hair propped up in a neat bun on top of her head, wearing a gray sheath dress and bright yellow heels tapping on the floor. She’s completely into her phone, her thumbs jabbing repeatedly on the screen, with a small cup of coffee on the table in front of her. Stiles guesses she’s been here for some time.

“Dia!” Rose squeals as they got closer to Lydia. Lydia looks up in their direction and smiles at their approach, putting her phone down and reaching her arms out to Rose who is scrambling in Stiles hold to get to her.

“Hi munchkin, I missed you too, look how big you’ve gotten!”, Lydia says, giving Rose a big, squeezing hug, to which Rose returned with just as much enthusiasm. Her wafting beta pheromones filled the air to serve as a neutral comfort for Rose. “How dare you separate us for so long Stiles, you don't know how much I missed my Rosey” she said with a playful pout on her lips.

Stiles chuckles, placing the baby bag on back of the chair across from Lydia and taking a seat.

“You just saw us last week”, he replied, reaching on the side of the bag in the insulated pocket and pulling out a bottle filled with milk, “sometimes I think you only meet up with me for Rose”. He slides it over to Lydia you gave it to Rose, making sure she was sitting properly and holding the handles of the bottle with her chubby hands.

“Is it that obvious?”, Lydia replied with a smirk, watching Rose drink from the bottle for a bit before looking up at Stiles, her smirk widening mischievously “guess I’ve been found out”.

Before Stiles could give a snarky reply, a waitress comes up to the table and asked what would he like to order. He asked for a glass of water and a burger with a side of fries. The waitress jots down his order with a smile and walks off. He turns his attention back to Lydia and glances down at the table to find her phone in front of him. It was unlocked with words printed across the screen. Stiles lifts the phone to better read the text.

_Are tweedle-dee and tweedle-dumbass outside patrolling the premises?_

He let a snort and quickly types his reply. Stiles’ bodyguards are beta werewolves employed by Derek, loyal only to Derek. It is imperative that they don't hear any of what Stiles and Lydia are about to talk about, well text about; why they really met up in the first place.

 _Of course, you know I’m not allowed to breath without them keeping tabs on me_ , he texted back then slid the phone to her. She snickered at the response. He watched the beta type with one hand, amazed that she could multitask so well while slightly rubbing Rose’s side with the other as Rose continued to drink from her bottle, oblivious to everything around her.

“I’ve already ordered and eaten before you guys got here, I’ve got a meeting in half an hour with a client but I just couldn't miss up an opportunity to see my Rosie~” Lydia said gleefully, kissing the top of Rose’s head while sliding the phone back to Stiles. Rose wiggled in excitement, smiling as much as she could around the bottle from the affection the beta is giving her.

_Everything is planned and ready to go, the flight is booked to Beacon Hills. All you have to do is meet me at my office next week and it should be smooth sailing from then on out. You just need to get rid of the stalkers._

Stiles hummed thoughtfully, typing his response diligently. Lydia is very much aware of Stiles plan, she is the only one that he has confided in when he first thought of it. He’s glad he did because she been such a big help ever since. She didn’t judge him or question why he was leaving his husband, only offered her support and resources. She gone so far as to help provide Stiles with a way out of the city, without Derek finding out with his massive influence over the city. Lydia knows all about Derek’s business and what he really does to afford them their splendid lifestyle, she is no fool like the rest of the public. He was doubtful in pursuing her offered help at first, he didn’t think anything could get past Derek. He also didn't want Lydia to get hurt by involving herself in his scheming, if anything happened to her Stiles doesn't think he could ever forgive himself. But Lydia had been adamant, she worked her magic and so far Derek has been none the wiser.

_Don’t worry about them, I’ve got an idea to lose them, I just need another favor of you. I need to borrow your clothes, something old maybe, as well as your kid’s clothes for Gaius and Rose._

He slides the phone back across the table and glances up in time to see the waitress from before coming over with his food in hand. He smiled at her and thanks her as she places the food down in front of him, the delicious aroma filling his nostrils and making his stomach grumble. He didn't realize how hungry he is, scheming builds up an appetite.

“That’s no problem, I’m just glad you made time out of your busy schedule to meet with us at all” Stiles said to Lydia, who had a slight questioning look, probably from the text she just read. She typed away on her phone, never once pausing before she slid the phone back to him.

He takes a sip of his drink as he reads the typed response.

_I’m sure you're going to make good use of those clothes. I’m trusting in your plan. Other than that, everything is well and good to go. I just need to know Stiles, is this really what you want?_

He paused at her words, surprised that she would ask that. Never before has she question him in his pursuit. He places his drink down and glances up at her. Lydia is looking back at him with a serious, unwavering gaze that would have anyone quivering in their shoes. She’s searching for some sort of doubt, some sort of falter in Stiles demeanor.

He isn’t insulted by her question, but it stings that she would question him consider how far they have gotten. He isn’t going to back out now. Lydia knows that he want’s better for his kids, they are the driving force why he is doing this in the first place. Derek may be able to give them anything they want with a snap of his finger but buying someone's love isn't enough to show genuine affection. They need their father and Stiles needs his husband, not some extension of him. On top of that, he didn't want them to grow up in Derek’s world. He didn't want them to grow up in this dangerous lifestyle, he would protect them with all of his ability and leaving would do just that.

Lydia is very familiar with his reasonings so why would she ask him now? Maybe his declarations hadn’t been strong enough, which he doubted, he knew he was convincing. Anybody who has children would understand where he is coming from. Or maybe . . .

He looks off to the side briefly, his mind brings up a memory that he has tried constantly to bury within the recesses of his mind but no matter how hard he tries, he just can't seem to ignore it.

_A soft, manicured hand caresses a much larger, familiar one. From where he’s standing, he can see them huddled close together, whispering to each other. She laughs at something he says, ducking her head and tucking a strip of her blond hair behind her ear. She looks into his eyes while biting her lip seductively. She says something, he can’t tell what, but he can see the familiar twitch of his lips, a smile that's barely there but a smile nonetheless. Its directed at her, like it was meant just for her and…._

_And…_

Stiles closes his eyes, shutting out that memory and trying to stifle down his emotions. His heart begins to ache painfully with each breath he takes, his nose stings from the onset of tears he feels welling being his eyelids. No, he won't remember that, not now. He refuses to think about that now. He’s already cried enough about it and he didn't want to cry anymore.

He hasn’t told Lydia the complete truth, not really. Yes, he wants to leave for his children, so they can have a safer, better life but there is another reason. A reason that has kept Stiles up crying at night in an empty bed and doubting where he stands in Derek’s life. It’s made him feel useless, insecure and downright pathetic to love and support a man who has moved on to another. He’s humiliated to be played like such a fool and because of that, it was the final push he needed to act on his plan.

So, Stiles shakes off these feelings and looks Lydia dead in the face with as much conviction he can muster from his fixed emotions. His eyes still sting, he’s sure that they are red, but the tears are willed away and his gaze never leaves Lydia’s.

She sees something in his eyes, he can tell from the way her features shift from a waiver of emotions. From caution, to concern, and finally to understanding. She smiles at him, a soft smile that makes him relax from his rigid posture, then bends her head to place another kiss atop of Rose’s brown curls.

“Okay”, she says, taking her phone back from where it rests on the table. “I don't mean to cut this short, I mean it, maybe next week we can hang out longer, just give me a call”. There’s a gleam in her eye when she says this, making sure that he understood what she is trying to say. Stiles nods in understanding. Next week, its finally happening.

“Yeah, next week.”

 

●●●●●●

 

The week goes by agonizingly slower than usual, or so it feels to Stiles. He acts his normal self but he can’t help the way his heart speeds up from anticipation or how his movements are more jittery than usual. Derek comes home but not for long, maybe stays about an hour for a day before leaving and coming back late at night. He doesn’t notice any change, not that Stiles can tell, but Stiles can feel Derek's eyes does linger on him when he is there. Probably in reaction to his increase anxiousness, Stiles doesn’t know. While he was on his way to pick up Gaius from school one day, Remy, one of the bodyguards, asked if he was okay, no doubt picking up on his nervousness. He played it off, saying he’s been drinking too much coffee lately. It was a poor excuse, but enough for Remy not suspect anything and report back to Derek. Stiles has come too far to fail now.

Lydia came over at some point during this time and dropped off the clothes he asked for. He hid them well, inside the washer machine in the hallway, the smell of Stiles clothes as well as detergent should mask Lydia’s scent on her clothing. Before she left, she hugged Stiles tightly. He responded with just as much effort, smiling into her curls and silently thanking her for all her help. She pulled back, gave his hand a squeeze and was out the door, leaving Stiles with renewed confidence. This is it, it’s finally time.

It's the night before he and the kids are leaving that he gets an unexpected surprise.

It 8 o'clock, he’d just put the kids to sleep and makes his way down stairs to get a glass of water. He has no reason expect anyone to be here so he is surprised to find not only Derek shuffling through the shelves on the wall in the living room, but also Peter standing in the open space staring directly at Stiles with a fake smile, giving off an intimidating aura of alpha pheromones. Stiles comes to a sudden halt at the bottom of the stairs, nearly jumping out of his skin from both the unanticipated werewolves and the intimidating atmosphere that's coming off of Peter in waves, seemingly directed at him as if he were an unwanted guest in his own home.

To say Stiles and Peter never got along is an understatement, not that Stiles hadn’t tried to be friendly towards his uncle-in-law. Peter just never seemed to like Stiles, for reason the he couldn’t bother to understand since the feeling is mutual. Peter made Stiles feel small, like he was incapable of doing anything. Stiles can’t stand Peter and Peter can’t concern himself with Stiles, and to be honest, Stiles wouldn’t have it any other way. But in this moment, it seemed that all of his attention is centered on him and Stiles didn't like it one bit.

He coughs in his hand, trying to hide the nervous pounding in his chest that he knows both werewolves can hear. What is Derek doing here? Better yet, what is _Peter_ doing here at this time of night? It’s too early, for Derek’s standards, to expect him home let alone to bring Peter of all people. Stiles starts wringing his hands together to stop them from shaking. He’s nervous; it's too much of a coincidence for Derek, and Peter, to show up the day before Stiles is scheduled to leave. They must know something and from the looks of Peter’s smug face, Stiles can’t help but keep his guard up. He won’t back down or give anything away, not when he is so close.

"Derek, what’s going on?” he says, shifting his attention to the other alpha who’s making his way towards Stiles with a folder tucked under his arm. Derek looks clean, his suit sharp and beard trimmed. He gives Stiles a private smile, his shimmering, ever changing eyes never leaving Stiles. His heart jumps at the display, an unoccupied, muscular arm wraps around his waist and a kiss follows on Stiles cheek.

The omega inside of him purrs at the affection but he ignores it, he won't break his resolve for this rare display of attention.

“Nothing you should concern your pretty, little head with” Peter said, his attention still zeroed in on Stiles, smiling growing larger by the second.

Stiles ignores him, his focus only centered at Derek who is looking right back at him with such caring intensity, Stiles could have mistaken it for want, that Derek longs for him. _Yeah right_ , he thinks but his disgruntled thoughts doesn't stop his omega from soaking up the treatment. He closes what little space is between them and settles his body against Derek, taking in the Alpha’s overwhelming scent.

“We came to pick some documents. We aren't staying long,” Derek said, hand caressing Stiles side as he drags it upward and rests it on his cheek. “How are the pups? I heard you putting them to bed.” 

“Their fine, I had to read _Little Red Riding Hood_ three times because Gaius wanted an encore, you know that's his favorite story.” _Do you know?_ but doesn’t voice that thought. Derek lets out a soft chuckle, the deep vibrations makes Stiles’ Omega melt from hearing it.

“Of course, it is,” Derek replies “I’ll make sure to tuck them in when I get back later, I’ll be back before 10.”

 _No, you won't_ , he thinks but all he can do is smile up at Derek and pretends that this might not be the last he sees of his husband for a while. He must look silly, he wonders, just staring into Derek’s eyes and scanning the smooth planes of the face that he has come to adore over the years. He commits those features to memory, staring longer than usual into those smoldering eyes but it's okay because Derek is doing just the same. That wandering hand travels slightly down to the bite mark on his shoulder, sending a chill through Stiles that makes his omega preen with want. He knows Derek can smells like lust, he can see it in the way his eyes darken, but he can’t help how he feels. He misses these moments so much, he misses Derek’s touch and affection and as much as doesn't want to admit it, he craves for it. His mind is becoming clouded with thoughts of them together, sharing much needed intimate moments, it's been so _long_. His Omega encourages the thoughts, suddenly he begins to wonder why he wanted to leave in the first place.

“You've been hanging out with that Beta, Lydia, a lot recently, haven't you Stiles?” Peter croons and just like that, Stiles is snapped out of his drunken, omega haze as if cold, icy water is poured down his back. His heart is hammering in his chest from a completely different reason than his previous predicament, Derek looks at him questioningly in response.

Stiles doesn’t look into his eyes. He snaps his attention back to Peter and the look he finds strikes a whole new sense of fear in his heart. That smile is still stretched across his face but much more sinister than before; it makes Stiles nerves rise in alert. He’s got a look in his eye, like he has a secret, like he _knows_.

Peter must know, otherwise why would he bring up Lydia, so then Derek must know.

 _No_ , from Derek’s confused reaction to his sudden distress, Derek has no clue about Stiles leaving with the kids. If that’s the case then why hasn’t he told Derek anything? Maybe Stiles was being paranoid, being sneaky can do that to you.

Either way, Peter is playing some sort of game and if that's the case, well Stiles is here for it.

He breathes in Derek’s scent to calm his nerves but just enough so he won't become scent drunk again. He just needs to act normal, that's all.

“I do have friends Peter, I don't spend all my time cooped up in this place,” Stiles narrows his eyes at Peter who huffs in amusement. “Why would you care anyway?”

“Ah I didn't mean anything by it, is it a crime to be concerned with who you keep around my niece and nephew,” he replied, waving his arm around theatrically, “I need to make sure that this family is safe and from your track history-”

“Peter,” Derek says, in a warning tone. Stiles can smell the tension coming off of him, it makes his Omega cower in fear. He starts to squirm in Derek's hold. “We should go.”

Peter’s eyes linger on Stiles long than usual, making Stiles quiver even more. “Indeed, we should. Stiles, always a pleasure to see you” Peter said, and with a final smug look, he walks off towards the front door.

“I will be back soon, this shouldn't take long” Derek kisses the top of Stiles head, squeezing Stiles one last time in reassurance and walks off to follow Peter out the door.

“Derek,” Stiles calls before he leaves. Derek looks back in alert waiting for what Stiles has to say. And it's in this instant, as Stiles stares into the depths of Derek's eyes, those same eyes he promised to spend the rest of his life with, that he feels the pangs of guilt. It’s at the tip of his tongue; he wants to tell Derek everything. Tell him where he is going, tell him why he is going in the first place. He wants to yell his feelings out to the world, he doesn't want to keep these emotions bottled up any longer . . .

. . .

But then he thinks of _her_.

He thinks of beautiful, long blond hair perfectly framing an equally as beautiful face. He thinks of him and her together, huddled like two newlywed lovers.

All previous feelings of longing dissipate, and in their place, came a scorching hot flame of anger that bellowed in the pit of his stomach. With his resolve solidified, he blinks out of his trance, breaking the connection that they shared. He can see Derek deflate from the connection they shared.

“I’ll miss you” Stiles says, _in more ways than one_.

Derek raises an expressive eyebrow, but smile regardless, “yeah, I’ll miss you too.”

And with that, he is out the door, leaving Stiles to his own reserves.

 

●●●●●●

 

His leg repeatedly bounces up and down inside the SUV as he and the kids, as well as their bodyguards, made their way towards Times Square. Rose is snuggled comfortable against Stiles chest in a makeshift wrap carrier, sleeping away for her afternoon nap while Gaius admired the buildings they passed. They are all wearing the clothes Lydia gave him and if their bodyguards notice, they didn't make any noticeable opposition towards it, keeping their stoic appearance neutral as they sat in the front of the SUV.

They had just come from picking Gaius up from school and were making their way towards a boutique, per Stiles request, but that was just a guise. The real destination is Lydia’s office building that just so happened to be conveniently located in one of the busiest places in the city. He glances outside and smiles inwardly at the crowded streets filled with people, mulling about going who knows where. It’s mid- afternoon and just like Stiles expected, there were masses of people here and there; the optimum scenario to lose someone in, preferably two brawly figures currently cursing traffic.

He knows Lydia’s scent won’t be enough to mask them from the two werewolves but it will do enough to confuse them, and that's Stiles needs. With the heap of people walking about, their scent, along with everyone else's in the area and Lydia’s clothing, would mingle together, making their escape more than definite.

Stiles glances down at Rose, making sure she’s still snug and asleep. He glances back out the window and his heart squeezes in both anticipation and trepidation; he can see Lydia’s building as they approach the busy sector, just a few blocks away. He reaches over the seat and grabs Gaius’ hand with a slight squeeze. Stiles gestures for him to come closer.

Remy clicks his tongue from behind the wheel of the car, his agitation rising from the traffic that seems to never end.

“We’re sorry Omega Hale, the traffic doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon, if you want-”

Stiles doesn’t give him a chance at answer. “It’s okay, we’ll just go ahead”. He all but throws open the passenger door and quickly, and carefully, makes his way out of the vehicle, Gaius following intently at his side, and into the congested, crowded sidewalk.

He hears a startled ‘Wait!’ but it gets drowned out by the people around them and the honking horns of the cars nearby. That definitely doesn’t stop Stiles; he doesn't look behind him to see if they are following, he just grips his son’s hand even tighter and makes his way through the crowds of people towards their destination.

He pushed his way through the crowd, one hand shielding Rose from the oncoming people while the other has a vice-like grip on Gaius hand. He’s mindful of his pace, making sure his little one is close and sticking to his side. He chances a glance behind him and sees no sign of his bodyguards within the sea of people.

It feels as though his heart is going to pound out of his chest from how hard it's beating against his ribcage. He knows he’s made great work of unexpectedly leaving the car like that, unbeknownst to his bodyguards, and creating a large enough head start for them to get away. He knows he has a good amount of distance between them and the car but he can’t help but feel apprehension vibrating throughout his being. He waits for a hand to clamp on his shoulder, waits to be pulled back to the prison he just escaped from. But it never happens; before he knows it, they are only a few feet to the building, to their freedom.

As he makes his approach towards the office building, he immediately spots the mop of red hair that no doubt belongs to Lydia behind the tall, glass doors of the building, scanning the crowd with intention.

She spots him when he is a few steps away, hurriedly opening the massive door and gesturing them inside.

“You made it! I was beginning to worry. Let's hurry to the back, I have a car waiting for you,” Lydia leads them through the front lobby, towards the back of the building.

“Mama, what's going on? Where are we going?” Gaius says from beside Stiles, a look of innocent, curiosity overtaking his face.

“Everything is okay,” Stiles says reassuringly, unclutching his hand from Gaius’ and ruffling his dark tresses. “We are going to go visit grandpa in California for a bit, how does that sound?”

“I miss grandpa!” Gaius gleefully exclaimed “I can't wait to see him!”

Stiles smiles down at Gaius, content with his son's excitement for their impromptu trip. He glances down at his chest to check on Rose. She is still sound asleep with drool spilling out of the side of her mouth. He snorts; after all that moving and bumping about, she’s still snoozing away. He not surprised, she is a heavy sleeper after all, she gets that from him.

Lydia continues to lead them through the building. They make a few turns and go down a flight of stairs until finally they come upon a door.

“Through here” Lydia says. She takes out a card and holds it up to a pad. The door makes a ‘beep’ sound, the sound of locks unhinging soon follows. She opens the door and leads them back outside to an open garage. A black car is parked away from the door, the engine can be heard echoing throughout the garage.

Stiles and Gaius follow behind Lydia as she walks up to the passenger door and opens it, ushering Gaius inside.

“There’re two suitcases in the trunk, I got you some extra clothes just in case. This is Steve, you don't have to worry about him, he’s an old friend” at the sound of hearing his name, the driver Steve turns his head and gives a nod in Stiles and Lydia’s direction. Stiles smiles hesitantly at him, he’s not comfortable around strangers, especially those around his kids but if Lydia trust him, then Stiles will have to put that aside.

“Everything should go according to plan once you get to the airport, I couldn’t get you guys first class tickets, it was too late when I booked the-”

“Lydia”

“It’s going to be a long flight, that can't be helped, I mean come on, we're talking about going cross-count-”

“Lydia!”

“You’ll be on your own from then on until you get to Beacon. I don’t have any connections there so I don't know how you're going to get to you dad’s house but-”

She stops her rambling abruptly at the sudden burst of laughter coming from Stiles that echoes off the garage walls.

“What's so funny?!? These are general concerns to worry about!” Lydia says indignantly, crossing her arms beneath her chest in a huff.

“No, no, you're right.” Stiles replies while waving his hand in front of him. His laughter trickles down to soft giggles. He then closes the small distance between them and wraps his arms around Lydia, burrowing his face in her soft curls. She jumps in surprise from the action but immediately unwinds her arms and wraps them around Stiles in return.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” he says with a cracked voice. Lydia has been one the biggest support system he has had since being in New York. She’s seen him at his worst and at his best; he’s so proud to call her his friend. Stiles sniffles from the sudden overwhelming emotions taking over him, he is going to miss her so much. “Thank you for everything.”

“Nonsense, Stiles,” He hears her give a sniffle of her own, her body rising from the action. “Okay enough of this sentimental bull,” she says. She unwinds from their embrace and walks up to the still open passenger door. “Have a safe trip little man” she reaches inside and ruffles Gaius’ hair, causing him to whine at the action.

“Aunty Lydia~” he cries out, batting her hand away. She chuckles and steps away from the car, giving Stiles space to get inside. Once he is seated inside, with Rose still nestled asleep across his chest, Lydia closes the door behind him. Stiles returns the wave she gives from outside the car as they pull off and before he knows it, they are off into the streets of NYC.

As Stiles watches the tall buildings that go by, his mind begins to drift of thoughts of Derek. He feels bad for a second for leaving his bodyguards like that; he wouldn't want to be the person to tell Derek that they lost his family in these NYC streets. How would you even go about saying that? He wouldn’t blame them for skipping town and changing their identities at the prospect of facing an alpha as intimidating as Derek. That’s just a small price to pay for his freedom. He wonders what Derek’s reaction will be. Will he finally take a break from his work and come looking for Stiles and the kids? Would he even notice they were gone at all? It doesn’t matter now, all he knows is he won’t be there to find out.

 

●●●●●●

 

 

Bodies of werewolves lay on the ground crumbled in withering pain in the lobby of the massive condo building. No one can move, paralyzed in agonizing aches from the aroma pungent in the air. The only ones that were moving about are the three lone figures causing a destructive mess in the suite they were currently turning inside out. Chairs were tossed about, books from bookshelves were scattered throughout the apartment with pages ripped out. Shattered glass lingered in the floor from picture frames being broken during the wreckage and couches flipped on their side, stuffing coming out from long, jagged knife marks that were left on them.

“How did a savage, animal like Hale get such a beautiful Omega like this,” one of the trespassers said as he gazed at a framed picture of said Omega. “Look at those plump lips! The things I would do to him-”

“You’re disgusting,” another replies as he tore a throw pillow in half “we’re supposed to be wrecking the place, not getting our rocks off on a picture of Hale’s omega.”

“I’m just say’n,” the other replied “Maybe when we finish off Triskelion, I’ll come whisk him away. Too bad he popped out two brats for Hale, that's going to be an issue.”

“Doesn’t matter,” a third says as he makes his way down the stairs towards the other two. “They’re not here, no signs of them, they must still be out.”

The one holding the picture huffs in irritation, the other in the room rolls his eyes at the action. “Ah, what a shame, I would have loved to show that Omega what a _real_ alpha feels like, what do we do now since we don't have him or the two brats?”

“We leave obviously, there’s nothing left for us to do here, besides, this mess is more than enough for Hale to get the message” the third makes his way towards the entrance of the apartment, maneuvering around broken glass and furniture.

“Wait up!” the second says while taking the picture out of the frame and pocketing it, tossing the mount carelessly and hurrying off after the other.

The last intruder shakes his head and tosses the two halves of the pillow to the side as he makes his way out the apartment. As he leaves, he glances at the other end on the far side of the open apartment and gazes at the still wet, giant red ‘A’ dripping down the length of the wall.

“Can’t see how he’ll miss that” he says to no one in particular, then leaves the apartment, not looking back at the wreckage left behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's that! This chapter took up 16 pages, my goodness. It took a lot of editing and a lot of time. I still can't believe I wrote this much, I don't put this much effort in my college essay, lol JKJK.
> 
> I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter. We get to see how Stiles feels and get a better understanding of his stance on why he decided to leave with the babes. A lot of elements! 
> 
> I'm going to edit chapter one; I feel as though some of the writing is a little lazy so I'm just going to change that. Nothing significant that's plotworthy but just enough that I feel more comfortable with the way that chapter flows so don't worry.
> 
>  
> 
> Wish I had a friend like Lydia, my friends makes plans right in front in me and don't even invite me to them, lol. 
> 
> Had to leave that snidbit at the end of the chapter because why not lol. No, it is relevant to the plot, just know that big things are coming to Triskileon and it won't be good.
> 
> That's all I have to say for now. Not sure when the next chapter will be out but I've stared writing it. I would like to hear what you guys thought of this chapter and as all ways, see you soon!


	5. Begining

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I want to apologize for how late this chapter is. School is hard and that is what I've been focusing on. Never once did I forget this story nor do I intend to abandon it. This is my baby lol and seeing as how many of you are enjoying it thus far, I'm happy to share this with you all.
> 
> So once again, I want to apologize and also say thank you for those of you who didn't give up on me. Thank you for your paitience and please do enjoy this chapter!

 

 

 

Derek closes his eyes, breathing in deeply as he reclines in his plush, leather chair. He tilts his head back and brings a hand to his temple, willing away the impending headache he faintly feels thumping on the side of his skull. The cushions welcome his body, offering him a brief moments rest from the hectic day he’s endured so far.

 

From early morning to the beginnings of the afternoon, his day has been anything but calm. Peter has him running around the city; checking in on their businesses, collecting rent, and handling new recruits all while trying to weed out any more possible traitors since their last meeting. As if that wasn’t enough, Peter has scheduled him to meet with different council men and women operating in the city. To have their support, he explained, should anything drastic happen with their current “Argent” problem.

 

He has spent majority of the morning negotiating with crooked politicians and taking names; it’s not even lunch time yet. Right now, as he finds himself be lulled by the stillness of his office and the magnificent cushions of his suddenly favorite chair, taking a nap doesn’t really seem that bad of an idea. But he knows he can’t, all he can manage now is having this moment to relax, as small as it is.

 

With much reluctance, Derek lazily opens his eyes and stares at the white ceiling of his office for a moment. He sits up and swerves his chair around to gaze out at the city through large windows and takes this moment to enjoy the scenery in front of him.  

 

Triskelion Towers serves as a HQ for Triskelion. His office is in the heart of Manhattan overlooking Central Park and the other buildings surrounding it. This building was the first major property Peter acquired, he takes great pride in that accomplishment, seeing it as his own thumbnail on a metaphorical map. All their “proper” businesses happen here, to keep from gaining unwanted attention of any major legal entities. T-Towers serves as a hub of networking and business connections for Weres' far and wide come for new opportunities. In a society where they are viewed as mere animals, it is surely needed.

 

From his high position on the top floor of the building, he can see everything; he sees various people jogging in the park, sees people lining up to get unverifiable food from various vendors. There are children playing at a jungle gym and running about. Outside of the large park into congested traffic, cars stretch as far as the eye can see. From the comfort of his quite, serene office, he can only imagine the obnoxious, blustering noises usually heard throughout the infamous city that never sleeps. The pace of life here is fast-moving, you have to be quick on your toes if you want to keep up and as Derek lounges here, in the comfort of a space he can call his own, he can honestly say he’s done more that keep up. He’s set the pace.

 

It’s not often Derek sing’s his own praises but he can’t help but be prideful of all that he has done. He’s grateful for his standing in life, not most can say they help run an empire as influential as Triskelion. Especially when society views his sort as being on the same standing as dogs. It’s bad enough that everyone presents as a second gender that already comes with its fair share of outdated clichés but being born as a werewolf seems to take the cake.

 

There are a lot of prejudice that some people hold against Werewolves based on made up tales so old, even his grandparents can’t remember how they started. As far as anyone can remember, humanity has shackled ‘Weres to be wild, treacherous beast that need to be put down. Not every human believes this but there are those closed-minded few who still have these beliefs ingrained in them. Negative stereotypes and the ignorance of those who view folk like Derek are what keeps these false preconceptions alive; strives have to be taken place to show people that Werewolves aren’t the monsters they think they are. Humans and Werewolves can work together and peacefully coexisting and for a city as diverse as New York, prejudices could eventually fade away into the background. At least that’s what Peter sold him in the beginning.

 

Derek sighs deeply, feeling the headache come back at the thought of his uncle. He shifts in his chair to get in a more comfortable position and tries to will away his mild migraine.

 

Derek remembers when Peter approached him, back in his teens, expressing idealistic ideas of a more accepting world and like a fool, he fell for it. He was going to help Peter become a riotous figure of Werewolf equality and justice. Derek believed in him, everything Peter said was so spot on and accurate to how Derek felt, how he still feels. But, oh, how their motivations have drifted. Or rather Peter’s has but Derek has suspected for a while that those ideas were never on Peter’s agenda.

 

Triskelion has, in some ways, become a hub of communication and business for Werewolves and humans alike to interact and gain benefiting connections. That's the legal facade. What was supposed to be a physical symbol of interconnecting and tolerance is really the center of arguably the biggest crime syndicate known in the 21st century. Their influence has spread all over the country, even in most parts of the modern world. Triskelion puts fear into the bravest of men. They control almost everything in New York City, all at the benefit of Peter. Peter’s hunger for power is like a thirst that can’t be quenched, he always wants more and doesn’t care who he has to remove to get it.

 

This is not what Derek signed up for. Derek didn't want to rule with an iron first besides Peter side, didn’t want to engage in illegal trades and money laundering. He tries to make little changes here and there, but the last thing he wants to do is disrespect Peter.

 

Growing up, Peter was one of the only people who saw potential in Derek and for that, Derek will forever be grateful. If it weren't for him, Derek wouldn’t be where he is today and for that, he will always feel as though he is in debt to Peter. He took Derek from being the timid, lowly freak he was dubbed growing up into a strong, reliable Alpha male. Because of Peter, Derek has come accomplished a lot.

 

And somehow, along the way, he convinced Stile to be his.

 

At the thought of his mate, Derek feels his headache fade away as if all his stresses were zapped from his body.

 

Derek still isn’t sure how he pulled that off. Someone as amazingly, brilliant as Stiles, who could have chosen anyone more capable than Derek, chose him. Every day is like a blessing with Stiles in it. Stiles is the best thing that's ever happened to him, he’s made everything in Derek’s world brighter just by his presence alone. Stiles’ the one stable force, his one form of normality and solidity in a world filled with chaos, that Derek can’t live without. Stiles has given him a place to call home, an actual family to call his own. The greatest gifts Stiles has ever given to him was the birth of their two beautiful children. They look at Derek as if he is a superhero, as if he were one of the good guys even if they didn’t know what he truly does for a living. For them, Derek would do just about anything.

 

Derek isn’t perfect, he knows that. He can get angry, he can be withdrawn and closed off, but Stiles loves him for that, loves him for who he is. Derek doesn’t deserve him, he knows this too, Stiles is too good for him. But Derek had already decided, all those years ago, there would only be one person out there for him and it was Stiles. It will always be Stiles.

 

Of course, as soon as he begins to wind down, gradually being lulled by his comfortable chair and view before him, he is snapped back to reality, almost violently, by the shrill sound of a phone ringing. Derek growls deeply as he swerves back to his desk and answers the phone.

 

“What is it?” he answers, a little more gruffly than he originally intended.

 

“Alpha Hale, Councilman Richards is here to meet with you for your 11 o'clock appointment” comes the reply from his secretary. Derek lets out sigh, his headache is back again.

 

Derek knows the benefits of aligning Triskelion with all these politicians, it’s important to have a legislative advantage over the Argents. It just seems like overkill in Derek’s opinion. He doesn’t understand why Peter is so worked up about this group. The way Derek sees it, they either follow in line like the others or they will be dealt with, he’s sure Peter would prefer the latter. But it doesn’t matter what Derek thinks. What Peter says, goes so Derek just has to grin and bear it.

 

“Alpha Hale?” his secretary asks through the phone.

 

“Yeah, I’m coming, send him to the boards room and tell him I’ll be with him shortly” he replies, getting up and straightening out his suit in the process.

 

“Yes, Alpha Hale” and with that the call ends and Derek reluctantly made his way towards his meeting with

 

●●●●●●

 

 

“Pleasure doing business with you Alpha Hale, I hope to see what we can do together as we move forward in the future” the councilman said as he makes his way out the double doors of the boardroom, leaving Derek standing at the head of the table.

 

He slumps heavily in the chair under him in relief, he feels tension leave his body as he finally relaxes after the _6th and final_ meeting he’s had today. There seems to be a theme going on. Every politician he has met with wants some form of protection in return for their influence. Seems like they’ve caught wind to what is to come if the Argents continue to move onto their turf. They’re smart, Derek thinks, to align themselves with Triskelion because if the Argents continue their disrespect, there won't be anything left of them.

 

Derek gazes out the window.  The sun is now beginning its descent behind the peak of the tallest building in the city. It's about early-midafternoon and if Derek keeps this pace up, he can finish all his assignments early and make it home to his family. The thought makes his wolf howl in anticipation and brings a subtle smile to his face.

 

He can see it now; Gaius running into his arms, gleefully screaming into his ear about how happy he is to see him, all while yapping away as he tells him about his exciting day at kindergarten as Derek carries him through the condo. And there would be Stiles, looking radiant and warm as he holds their baby girl in his arms, smiling a megawatt smile while showing off his dimples that would put the sun to shame.  

 

Derek sighs contently at the nice image he’s pictured in his mind and pulls out his phone. It's usually around this time Remy would send him a text, updating him on his family’s location or their well-being. He’ll tell him little things, nothing too urgent but Derek needs to make sure that his family is being well looked out for while he isn’t around them. Of course some might think assigning bodyguards is excessive, Stiles has even given his _thorough_ opinion on the matter, but having them around gives Derek a greater peace of mind. Knowing that they are there in his stead alleviate a lot of stress for Derek.

 

So of course it surprises him when he opens his messages when there isn’t a new notification under Remy’s name. His eyebrows furrows as he clicks on Remy's name to further show no new messages have been sent. The last message being sent had a time stamp of 1:45 pm reading _Omega Hale is feeding Rose._ It's almost 4:30.

 

 _Strange._ Now, Remy is usually a responsible guy. He is the prime example of what it means to be an excellent worker, he carries out his duties with the utmost dignity and efficiency. There may have been times when Remy was a few minutes late with his replies but _hours,_ now that is unusual for a guy how takes his job seriously.

 

Derek lets in a steady, deep breath to try to calm his rising nerves, he feels his wolf pacing back and forth, clawing at his subconscious in distress. He clenches his other hand and just thinks. He needs to calm down. Maybe he’s overreacting, he tends to get that way when it comes to Stiles or their pups. He doesn’t want to overreact but this is different. He can’t help the small sliver of dread seeping throughout his core at the thought of not knowing what’s going on with his family.  

 

He presses the call option under Remy’s name and holds the phone to his ear. After a few rings, it goes to voicemail. He tries again, but still no answer.

 

 _Very_ strange.

 

He backs out of Remy’s name, then clicks under Oscar’s name, the other bodyguard assigned to Stiles, and still the same results, no answer. He tries Stiles phone but he doesn’t pick up either. Derek lowers the phone from his ear, completely unaware of the action while his mind runs a thousand miles per second.

 

All three haven't answered their phones. All three. What could they be doing for all _three_ of them to not answer their phones. Derek’s mind was producing different kinds of scenarios in his head, all of which were not helping to calm his already aggravated nerves. A movie maybe? That would make sense, don’t want to be rude to other movie goers. But Remy would have texted him beforehand. Maybe they were at the house? Doesn’t make sense either, they should have gotten Gaius by now.

 

Every scenario that goes through his head always results in some way for Derek to be contacted. So it shouldn’t make sense that . . .

 

His eyes begin to widen; panic begins to spread throughout his entire being as a sudden thought pops in his mind. What if they haven't contacted him because they can’t. What if he can’t reach them because they aren't around their phones, because they can’t get to their phones. What if something terrible happened to them? His breath catches in his throat as a horrible imagery pops into his head. What if the Argents-

 

“Derek? What’s going on? Is everything okay?” suddenly, Erica is there, bursting through the door, Isaac trailing not too far behind her. “Are we being attacked, what happened. . .”. She trails off as both of them begin to lower their heads in submission.

 

Derek blinks at them both, both startled by their sudden appearance and confused by their obedient gestures. He glances down at himself and notices that not only is he standing up but his nails are now elongated to sharp, pointed claws. He’s sure his eyes are shifted too from the subtle gleam of their golden, Beta eyes. He shifts back to normal and lets out a low “sorry” as he sits back in his chair

 

There is a brief, tense moment that passes between them all until Isaac finally pipes up.

 

“You haven't wolfed out like that in a long time Derek, not since we first met years ago,” he takes a weary glance at Erica, who looks almost as nervous as he does, but continues on “Did you find something out? What’s going on?”

 

“I’m not sure,” Derek replies, letting the familiar scent of his Betas calm him down. He needed to think straight at times like this, not stress those around him. But even with their presence, he’s still on edge. “I don’t want to take any chances though. I want you two to go by my apartment building and check up on things, see if everything is okay.” He turns in his chair and observes the outside world, waiting for his Betas to leave.

 

“Yeah sure” he hears Erica reply but she takes no action to leave, both of them don’t. He can feel their concerned gazes on the side of his face. After a while Erica finally says, “do you want us to get you anything while we’re out?”

 

“No,” Derek replies, “I’m fine” and with, that the two Betas lave to do what they've been told. Derek makes no effort to move. He has other obligations to attend to but he can’t gather the energy to budge. The dread that sits in the pit of his stomach won't allow him to. All he can do is stare out into the city and just hope everything is fine.

 

●●●●●●

 

Derek knows Peter means well, at least that's what he tells himself, when he asks him to meet him downtown at the _Verona Plaza._ He knows it for the betterment of Triskelion and keeping their presence known so the Argents don’t get any funny ideas. He knows Peter needs him there to both support him and teach the new recruits assembled there the ways of Triskelion. He knows all of this, but knowing his responsibilities that comes with being Peter’s second in command doesn’t stop him from being in a bad mood.

 

Peter kindly informs Derek to meet him downtown in the afternoon, the optimal time rush hour is at its peak. If it wasn’t the constant honking coming from the surrounding cars and taxis that put Derek in his awful mood, it definitely was being stuck in traffic for _way_ longer than need be. It didn't help that neither Erica or Isaac contacted him yet, making him more irritable than he already was. Nothing seemed to be going his way today.

 

But somehow, his composed companion Boyd managed to keep his cool and maneuver their way through traffic. It took a while but they finally arrived to their destination.

The plaza is usually busy, filled with different vendors and people alike, enjoying their time out while the weather still permits it. But now, as he steps out of the car, it represents the features of a ghost town. Booths are closed and the only people around are blazed out junkies, barely aware of anything around them.

 

Peter is standing in the center of the plaza, surrounded by the new recruits, Derek notes. It's hard to miss him, the pheromones Peter’s letting out is commanding, suffocating the air around him. Even from were Derek stands a little ways away, he still can’t help but wrinkle his nose from the musk, it's stifling.

 

“Now what example are you setting for these fresh minds if you show up late, dear nephew” Peter says. In spite of how far they are from each other, Derek can hear every ounce of condescension dripping from his mouth and before he can tell Peter where he can stick that comment, Boyd begins to speak.

 

“There was a lot of traffic on the way here” Derek feels more than sees Boyd come up beside him, “unfortunately we got caught in it.”

 

Peter blinks at that, unimpressed, “Unfortunate, yes,” he turns his back to them and gestures for everyone to follow “Let’s not waste any more time here, we’re losing daybreak.”

 

Derek takes a glimpse at his Beta to see that he is staring right back at him. To a stranger, it might be hard to tell how the man is feeling from his usually neutral-dull expression, but from years of working together, Derek can pick up on his subtle facial cues to know that Boyd is asking him if he is okay.

 

He gives Boyd a nod, appreciating the concern and with that, they make their way towards the other werewolves. Before they can proceed any further, however, a shilling ringtone emits from Derek’s pocket. He recognizes the tone immediately. Derek reaches for his phone and confirms that Isaac is calling him. He wastes no more time answering it.

 

But once Derek answers the phone, he’s immediately met with a long, wailing, blaring noise of what sounds like a cluster of sirens on the other end of the line. He pulls his phone away from his ear, the noises are deafening and he can barely understand anything that Isaac is saying.

 

“ _Derek? I-t- . . . th- . . -ilding was- . . . everyo- . . . can’t fin-”_ is all Derek can make out from Isaac, his voice being drowned by the sirens. He sounds panicked, which is a change from Isaac’s usually level-headed demeanor and in no way Derek’s anxiety.

 

Derek readjusts his phone, covering his other ear in an attempt to hear better,” Isaac? I can’t hear you, what’s happening?” Through the cacophony of commotion, Derek can just barely make out what sounds like _give me the phone_ , before hearing shuffling and soon the sirens are nothing more than muted, background noises.

 

“ _Derek? Can you hear me?_ ” Erica is now speaking but from the stilled, strained tone of her voice, Derek can tell that something is up, something is wrong and that only makes his fears grow all the more.

 

“Erica, what is going on?” Derek drops the hand covering his ear as he listens for her response. He needs to know what happened, he just needs know.

 

He hears her take a breath before answering. “ _There was an attack, the Argents no doubt. When Isaac and I got here, we found Weres on the floor, barely moving-._

 

Derek stops listen after the words _attack_ and _Argent_ being used in the same sentence. All at once, an overwhelming sense of terror wrapped around his body and held him in a vice-like grip. He is frozen, it feels like his blood’s run cold and his stomach has turned to ice. He couldn’t hear himself breath, he couldn’t hear himself _think_. Any doubt he had about him thinking he may have been over exaggerating vanishes. His worst nightmares were coming to fruition. He has never been overcome with this much fear in his life. But he has to listen, this is not the time to shut down. He has to be strong.

 

Derek’s breath catches in his throat as he tries to control his breathing. He focuses back on what Erica says, trying to stay calm but can’t listen any further after she says “ _\- the condo is a wreck-”_.

 

“Erica,” Derek tries to stay calm but he can’t control the slight tremor that comes out of his voice. He ignores everything around him, all he can do is focus on the phone, focus on what Erica is saying like it’s a life line because there is only one thing on his mind “where is my family?”.

 

“ _Derek, please hear me out. Don’t jump to any conclusions, as far as we know they are safe, maybe they never even came back to the-”_

 

“ **Erica!** ” His Alpha voice roars out of his throat, echoing throughout the plaza. He doesn’t notice Boyd, who had already stopped to wait for him, jump slightly from the viciousness of his commanding voice. He doesn’t notice the new group of Were’s cower in fear from him or the way Peter stares at him blankly.

 

Derek is slipping, the control he always prided himself on having is rapidly deteriorating. He feels his wolf clawing at his insides, wanting to get out, to take control, and at this point he doesn’t care anymore. Erica is stalling and he just needs to _know._

 

_“....They’re not here Derek, we haven't found them”_

 

It feels like time stops, like everything that has ever breath life in this world has become paralyzed with nothingness. Not a sound is heard, not a breath is taken. It was as if the world had stopped spinning and every living being on it is trapped in its clutches. Nothing mattered in this moment for Derek.

 

A sudden snap resonates all over his being, vibrating throughout the spaces of his once whole soul.

 

And then there was nothing.

 

 ●●●●●

 

The soft patter of dripping methodology striking a surface is the first thing Derek becomes aware of. It’s faint, but each drip seems to echo, causing enough disturbance to awaken him out of unconsciousness. The first thing he feels is rough, brittle soil against his body. Sharp points of what feels like branches dig into his back from where he lay on the ground, making him come to reality faster.

 

Derek groans, rolling on to his side and slowly opens his eyes to survey his surroundings in a daze. Blades of grass is what greets his line of site, slightly dewy from the shower of rain beating down around him. He turns his head upward to see a thick canopy of leaves protecting him from the downpour. He watches the leaves shake from the onslaught, bouncing rhythmically but never once did a droplet fall through. Then with a slight heave, he sits up on his arms, his limbs whimpering from the sudden movement, and gets a better look at his surroundings.

 

From underneath the tree, Derek notices bushes and other trees all around. It’s bright out here but he can’t tell what time of day it is. He can’t even tell where he is at the moment. A sudden breeze makes him shiver, he clutches his arms around himself only to feel nothing but his own bare skin. He glances down and realizes that he’s completely naked, from head to toe. He shifts his gaze back out to the trees and lets his mind wonder, no real, coherent thought running through his brain.

 

Derek hasn’t shifted into a full, fledged wolf in a long time, the sourness in his bones confirm as much. He hates it, hates letting the wolf inside him take control. He can never seem to remember what he does when he’s in that state, the memories are foggy as best. He doesn’t know what he has done or who he could have hurt in the process of his roaming. What’s even worse is once he comes through, he’s always left in a confused, haze-like state, trying to recall anything but knowing it's pointless. All he can do is assess, grab his bearings, and move on.

 

So, with extreme protest from his aching limbs, Derek crosses his legs, twigs poking underneath him in the process, and just listens for… anything. It’s hard to smell anything in this weather, so he chooses instead to rely on his ears, they never do him wrong. He hears the pitter-patter of rain serving as a blanket over the area. The subtle rustles of animals curling away to stay warm and dry. He listens out for anything unusual, anything that would seem out of place. And then he hears it. Mushy, squishing sounds of footsteps trudging through the uneven, muddy terrain alerts Derek that someone is near, someone is coming his way.

 

Derek jumps on his haunches, ready for an attack but as a sudden wind blows in his face carrying the scent of said stranger, he relaxes and sits back down. He recognizes this scent.

 

“So this is where you’ve run off to.”

 

Derek looks up and sees Peter, stepping into the clearing and trudging his way towards his direction. Even as he holds an umbrella in one hand, and what appears to be a blanket in the other, he still carries himself with a strut of a typical Alpha Were, parading his dominance to no one in particular. There’s no reason for it, it's just them out here.

 

Derek cranes his neck up as Peter gets closer, laxly blinking his eyes in the process. Peter stops a few feet from him, just outside the protective barrier the tree provided. He stares at Derek with no real expression on his face but his eyes had a clear, sharpness to them that made Derek know he was being analyzed. Derek stares right back, waiting for Peter to say something. After a few seconds of their staring contest, Peter cocks his head to the side, still analyzing Derek as if he is choosing his next words carefully.

 

“How did you find me?” Derek ask, growing annoyed from the silence between them.

 

Peter doesn’t acknowledge the question, doesn’t even seem to notice that Derek asked anything, and instead ask a question of his own

 

“What do you remember?”

 

Derek slowly rolls his eyes at the question, making an effort to be more dramatic than necessary.

 

“You know I don’t remember anything when I shift,” he replies with an edge in his voice, wondering why Peter would ask obvious questions. But Peter doesn’t take the bait. He stays in that same neutral state, still scrutinizing Derek with keen eyes.

 

“I meant,” Peter pause, looking for the right words “Do you know why you shifted in the first place?”

 

Derek scrunches his eyebrows at that and looks off the side in thought. That was a good question. Why did his wolf feel the need to come out? The only times his wolf demanded control is when he is distress. He thinks for a bit, going past the hazy memories of his time as the wolf and tries to pinpoint exactly what happened. He remembers being with Boyd, they were meeting up with Peter to… train new recruits, something about increasing their presence. He remembers getting a call, it was Isaac, no Erica? There were sirens too. Erica called to tell him…

 

Then it hits Derek like a bag of bricks. Everything comes back to him. He remembers sending Erica and Isaac to his home, to check on things. He remembers the call; Isaac’s distressed voice, Erica refraining from alerting Derek but he already knew. There was an attack on his property, on his _home_. It was the Argents, the Argents, his home, and his family was… Stiles…

 

Derek springs out of his sitting position, nails elongated into sharp claws and more alert than he was a second ago. An anger so hot burned within him, scorching every vein in his body and igniting a new resolve within. How could he let this happen, _how could he let this happen_. Peter warned him, warned everyone the Argent’s were serious and are coming to take over. He should have taken heed to his words. He could have protected his family more, had more of his men on patrol, watching their every move. To think that this could have been avoided. This was all his fault. Because of his carelessness, he put his family in the worst possible situation imaginable. Now his family is…

 

“Where did they take them.” He doesn’t pose it as a question. He needs answers now, there’s no telling what’s happened to his family while he’s been gone.

 

Peter steps closer to Derek, lowering his umbrella as he gets under the canopy and snorts, “Wouldn't you like to know how long you’ve been gone?”

 

“What?” Derek growls out, rounding on Peter. His canines inch out and his eyes flash as his anger boils even more from the question. Is he serious? Does Peter really think Derek cares? He needs to know what been going on and Peter is stalling. “That’s not important right no-”

 

“Three days,” Peter interrupts, placing the umbrella on the ground and gesturing for Derek to take the blanket from his arm, “while you’ve been off dilly-dallying, I had to get a handle on our affairs. You know, it’s one thing for Triskelion’s ‘Top Dog’ to suddenly wolf out and run off into the sunset, but it’s another for your spouse and your children to be involved in an alleged kidnapping. That’s been the headline on almost every media outlet, the police won’t back off either,” Peter shakes his head at Derek, as if in disappointment, “Honestly Derek, if you can’t get a handle on your tribe and your emotions, I’m going to have to find someone else more capable”.

 

Derek doesn’t think, just reacts. He charges towards Peter with all his might, rampaging emotions serving to fuel his sudden burst of energy. With claws extended and fangs bared, he’s ready to tear Peter apart.

 

But before he can get a blow in, Peter is on him in an instant. It happens in seconds. One moment, Derek is a nails-inch away from clawing Peter’s face off and the next, he’s pinned to the tree. Peter’s forearm presses into Derek’s neck, the other rammed onto Derek’s chest while his legs are restrained by Peters’. Derek tries to break free, jerking and thrashing every which way, but the more he moves, the more pressure Peter presses into his neck. With seemingly no way to get out of this hold, all Derek can do his bare his teeth, scarlet eyes boring into Peter’s own red eyes.

 

“Are you done?” Peter says, expression stoned-faced and tone low. “Because if you would have let me finish, you would have learned that I have been using all of my resources to try to find them. All of our men have damn near turned this city upside down looking for them. Do you really think I have been doing nothing? Despite what you may believe, I still consider them family. I’m trying to get you up to speed on everything since you’ve been gone but I can’t do that if you can’t **calm down**.”

 

Derek growls lowly from his throat, still irked from what Peter said earlier but considers his last words. Peter does have a point; they aren't going to get far if Derek doesn’t get a handle on his emotions. He can’t help it though, the thought of any harm being inflicted on his mate or pups would send any sane man into a frenzy. But he has to have a level head if they are going to progress any further.

 

So with a heavy sigh, Derek calms down. He closes his eyes and breathes steadily, calming his racing heart and nerves that felt like live fire. His fangs draw back in, his claws retract, and his eyes morph back to the hazel color they once were. He stares back at Peter, who’s also shifted to normal, and raises a single eyebrow.

 

“Good,” Peter says while releasing his hold on Derek and turning away. Derek moves off the rough bark of the tree while rubbing his now sore neck. “Now wrap that blanket around you, last thing we need is you scaring some unlikely people who might be out here.”

 

Derek snort while spotting the blanket some ways away. He walks over it and wraps it around his body. He then walks back over to Peter, who’s tapping away on his phone.

 

“Then what’s the plan Peter?” Derek grumbles, trying to gain Peter’s attention.

 

“Well first, let's get you some clothes,” Peter looks up from his phone smirking at Derek “then we’re going to our first lead”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said previously, thank you all so much for your patience and to add to the notes at the top, I have a confession to make. It wasn't just school that held me up. It was really writers block, my goodness. I was in the middle of writing the story and then out of no where, i just couldn't. I can't find a word to describe the feeling of it but understand that yes, writers block is a real thing.
> 
> Anyhow, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I won't promise the grammar is well but if anything I will try to find the time to check it over just in case. 
> 
> Hopefully the next update won't be for very long, the next chapter is going to be another flashback. Until then please do leave a comment, you guys are so sweet and encouraging. I enjoy reading them so much. OH! that reminds me!
> 
> Thank you all for the lovely kudos! I really do appreciate it!
> 
> Now officially, until next time, I'll talk to you guys later!


	6. Now You Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Its another flashback chapter.

 

 

Derek is seven when he realizes Stiles is his only friend.

He’s not bothered by that, no matter how many times Laura may tease him for it, it's just something he’s become aware of.

Stiles isn’t like the other kids their age. He isn’t obnoxious or in his face in an intrusive way. Stiles is kind to Derek, doesn’t mind spending time with him, and that makes him happy.

It’s not that Derek hasn’t tried making friends, he does his best. He can’t help, however, the overwhelming, nervousness that overtakes him just from the thought of talking to someone new so he doesn’t try as hard as he should. It scares him, and because of that, he’s been dubbed the “weird-quiet kid” in his class. No one’s looking to be friends with someone with a title like that.

He’s not bothered by that though, not anymore, not since he’s met Stiles. 

Derek likes spending time with the hyperactive boy, they do almost everything together. They play outside together, playing make believe and going on different quest. Stiles always insist on being the knight. They go exploring in the woods, finding different insects and collecting colorful flowers for Stiles to bring home.

Derek likes being around the other boy and he knows Stiles feels just the same. He likes to hear him speak, he’s amazed with how much Stiles has to say, he knows pretty much everything! Stiles talks on end about anything that crosses his mind and Derek dutifully listens, fascinated by what he has to say.

But secretly, he likes the sound of Stiles voice. He would never admit it to Stiles, but he could listen to him speak for hours and never become bored. 

Stiles doesn’t mind that Derek doesn’t talk much, either. He doesn’t think he’s odd or strange or any of the other names other kids call Derek. 

“You wanna know something Derek?” Stiles says one day as they’re lounging by a small stream in the backwoods of Stiles home, feeding ducks that live nearby.

“I like hanging out with you,” Stiles says out of the blue, smiling his megawatt smile, dimples showing, towards Derek and Derek isn’t sure what the sudden fluttering in his stomach is. Or why his heart feels like it's going to beat out of his chest. All he knows is he can’t turn away from Stiles when he looks at him like that. “You're funny! You’re not like everyone else, most people find me annoying but you don't mind that I talk a lot”.

“N-no,” Derek stammers, trying to cover his dazed trance, turning his attention back to ripping bread into smaller pieces. “I don’t mind, I think it’s . . . comforting.”

Stiles’ sudden burst of laughter startles Derek from what he’s doing, bring his attention back to his chuckling friend.

“ _Comforting_? That’s so silly Derek,” Stiles gets out, “See! That’s why I like you!” 

Derek doesn’t get it but he can’t stop the chuckle that escapes him and soon finds himself joining his friend in laughter. 

It isn’t until later, when Derek is lying in his bed drifting off to sleep, that he realizes Stiles is like him. He didn’t say it, but Derek can bet that Stiles is the odd one out in his class too. A _lone wolf_ his mother would say, _they may be by themselves but they are strong, independent creatures, just like you, Der._

Stiles is Derek’s only friend, and he is his. He wouldn’t have it any other way.

 

●●●●●

Derek is eleven when he realizes he and Stiles are different.

Not different in the obvious way. Of course Stiles knows about Derek’s lineage, he’s knows Derek comes from a long line of werewolves. Stiles knows that eventually, one day, Derek will be able to shift into his Beta form and maybe even into a full blown wolf.

_That's so cool!_ Stiles had shouted excitedly when he told him. Derek remembers, can still practically feel his ears ring from Stiles high pitched voice.

It didn’t bother Stiles in the way Derek feared it would. Not many people are welcome to the idea of Weres. In their small town of Beacon Hills, Weres makeup a good chunk of the population, so there really isn’t too many issues but there's always a case or two. 

So no, they aren’t different in the clear way of what their genetic makeup is. They're different in a way that Derek is too young to understand.

He notices little things.

When he’s out grocery shopping with his mom, he’ll notice people quickly clear out of the isle they would go to, sometimes leaving their full carts behind.

When he’s dropped off at his school with Cora, parents will quickly rush their kids inside the building. Some will even wait in their car. Derek isn't sure why he or anyone in his family always gets these reactions. It isn't until he meets Stiles’ dad for the first time that he learns why.

Like any normal afternoon, Derek waits for Stiles after school. Derek’s house is in the same direction as Stiles, so it only makes sense that they walk home together. Only this time, as they stop in front of Stiles’ home and Derek is about to say his goodbyes, the front door opens.

Standing there is a tall, bulky man dressed in a beige police uniform.

It didn’t take a genius to know that the man coming out of the house is Stiles’ father, Sheriff John Stilinski. Derek has never met the man but from what he’s heard from Stiles, he’s _the coolest, bravest dad ever!_ Sheriff Stilinski is an awesome guy, coming from a reliable source, so Derek had some built up expectations.

Stiles immediately perks up at the sight of his father. “Hi dad!” he shouts, loud enough for the Sheriff to hear.

“Stiles, hey,” the sheriff turns around, a small smile gracing his face at the sight of his son. “How was school today...” the sheriff trails off from what he was going to say, his focus no longer on Stiles but instead, solely on Derek.

The small smile that graced the man’s face vanished immediately, making way for a stiff grimace that turns the sheriff's friendly demeanor into a closed off, guarded stance.

“Stiles, get in the house,” the sheriff says, his words were final as he made his way towards the two boys, giving no leeway for arguments. The sheriff’s sudden change in demeanor shocks Derek, the happy atmosphere surrounding the two boys before evaporated by the subtle, hostile pheromones wafting from the alpha man.

"Dad?” Stiles quietly spoke, either from confusion or plain fear in the wake of his father, who was now making his way towards them, “I don’t-”

“NOW Stiles!” the Sheriff’s shouted with enough bass in his voice sent Stiles quickly getting into his home.  

Derek watched his friend go, but his attention was broken from the presence of the Sheriff now standing in front of him, blocking his view. The alpha’s oppressive pheromones makes it impossible to ignore him. Derek cautiously looks up to the man before him, feeling cold sweat drifting down his neck. If the Sheriff looked intimidating before, it didn't even compare to the haunting, angry look marring his face up close.

Derek’s hands quivered with fear from the harrowing expression focused on him. He didn’t understand, why was the man acting this way? From the short time he could recall, Derek can’t think of anything he might have done to disrespect him.

The more Derek reflected over his actions, the more his thoughts drift to all those other interactions he’s had with other people in town. Their sudden jilted actions, their need to steer as far away from Derek and his family as possible. But one thing they all had in common were the fearful, angry looks on their faces, always directed at his family.

An intake of breath is what breaks Derek out of his thoughts, bringing his attention back the man before him.

The Sheriff’s eyes shift over Derek’s face, as if he were analyzing every detail of him. Then, after what seems like forever, the grown Alpha lets out a deep breath and finally speaks.

“I don’t know how long you've been hanging around my son, but it ends today,” he says, voice strained as if to control himself, “he’s not going to be involved in any parts of you or your family, do I make myself clear?” 

Derek is frozen. He doesn't know what to say, doesn’t know how to respond to the man in front of him. All he can do is stare up at the man telling him not to see Stiles anymore. Stiles, the only other person Derek has felt himself around. The only person who truly makes Derek laugh and smile, makes him happy.

It hurts; it feels like Derek’s world is plummeting around him and there’s nothing to hang on to. He’s so confused, he doesn’t understand what has caused this to happen.

“DO I make myself clear?” the Sheriff shouts, startling Derek out of his crippling thoughts and into instinctive action. With no hesitation at all, Derek turns his back on the man and runs as fast and as far away as he could, only glancing back briefly to make sure the Alpha wasn’t following him.

The Sheriff was right where he left him, watching Derek go with a haunting grimace. As Derek turns away, determined to make it home and willing back the tears he felt behind his eyelids, he could have sworn he saw a glance of Stiles in the window of his home.

 

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His mother would later on find him in his room with the lights off, bundled under a shield of blankets on his bed. The sound of sniffling and the smell of salty tears is what brought her to the room, completely concerned over the well-being of her child.

She approaches him with light steps, careful not to startle the boy, but as she tries to peal the blankets back, he buries even deeper in his makeshift cocoon. It took much coaxing but after sometime, the pair are nestled together, Derek sobbing on his mother’s shoulder as he tells her what happened. His mother gently rubs his back in slow circles, listening to her son tell his sad tale.

“I didn’t even get to say goodbye” Derek quietly murmurs, finally calming down after he tells his story.

“Oh, Derek, I’m so sorry,” his mother dolefully says, hugging her son closer while nuzzling her cheek onto the top of his head, “we should have told you sooner, to prepare you for things like this.”

Derek lifts his head offs his mother’s shoulder, questioningly gazing at her guilt-ridden face.

Derek realized two things that day; he was a part of a notorious crime-syndicate family and he may never be allowed to see Stiles again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to keep this short and simple, I mean it is just a flashback chapter, but apparently I don't know what that means! Originally this was going to be four simple, short parts but it became longer than intended so I had to cut it.
> 
> Once again, thank you all for your patience and your continued support for this story, it never goes unnoticed by me.
> 
> Officially its summer vacation for me so that means more FREQUENT UPDATES!! (hopefully). I am taking a summer class but that will be over by the end of June. I hope to get a lot of chapters out during my time off; i'm setting a goal for 8! It might be tough but I think I can do it. Wish me luck!!


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